SQL Updates Newsletter - April 2016

Recent Releases and Announcements

• SQL Server 2016 will be generally available on June 1, 2016.
  • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/dataplatforminsider/2016/05/02/get-ready-sql-server-2016-coming-on-june-1st/
• Cumulative Update #6 for SQL Server 2014 SP1
  • https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/sqlreleaseservices/cumulative-update-6-for-sql-server-2014-sp1/
• Cumulative Update #13 for SQL Server 2014 RTM
  • https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/sqlreleaseservices/cumulative-update-13-for-sql-server-2014-rtm/
• Now available: SQL Server 2016 Release Candidate 3
  • https://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2016/04/18/now-available-sql-server-2016-release-candidate-3
• JSON is available in Azure SQL Database
  • https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/sqlserverstorageengine/2016/04/09/json-is-available-in-azure-sql-database/
• Ten reasons you’ll love Windows Server 2016  - Windows Server blog series
  • #1: PowerShell and DSC:
    • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsserver/2016/04/07/ten-reasons-youll-love-windows-server-2016-1-powershell-and-dsc/
  • #2: Active Directory and Identity:
    • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsserver/2016/04/08/ten-reasons-youll-love-windows-server-2016-2-active-directory-and-identity/
  • #3: Server management tools:
    • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsserver/2016/04/11/ten-reasons-youll-love-windows-server-2016-3-server-management-tools/
  • #4: Remote Desktop Services:
    • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsserver/2016/04/12/ten-reasons-youll-love-windows-server-2016-4-remote-desktop-services/
  • #5: Software defined storage:
    • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsserver/2016/04/14/ten-reasons-youll-love-windows-server-2016-5-software-defined-storage/
  • #6: Software-defined compute:
    • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsserver/2016/04/19/ten-reasons-youll-love-windows-server-2016-6-software-defined-compute/
  • #7: Software-defined networking:
    • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsserver/2016/04/20/ten-reasons-youll-love-windows-server-2016-7-software-defined-networking/
  • #8: Security:
    • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsserver/2016/04/25/ten-reasons-youll-love-windows-server-2016-8-security/
  • #9: Containers:
    • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsserver/2016/04/26/ten-reasons-youll-love-windows-server-2016-9-containers/
  • #10: Nano Server:
    • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsserver/2016/04/27/ten-reasons-youll-love-windows-server-2016-10-nano-server/
• April 2016 edition of evaluation Windows developer virtual machines now available
  • https://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2016/04/20/april-2016-edition-of-evaluation-windows-developer-virtual-machines-now-available/#sm.001s1hkc116tsdfa11s1sh824zjel
• Extended Support for SQL Server 2005 ended on April 12, 2016.
  • https://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2016/04/12/today-is-last-day-of-extended-support-for-sql-server-2005-time-to-put-a-plan-of-action-in-place/
• Running multiple UPDATE STATISTICS for different statistics on a single table concurrently is available
  • To enable this feature improvement, enable the SQL Server trace flag 7471.
  • https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3156157
• SQL Server Data Tools Preview update for April 2016
  • https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ssdt/2016/04/15/sql-server-data-tools-preview-update-for-april-2016/
• Announcing SQL Server Management Studio – April 2016 Release
  • https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/sqlreleaseservices/announcing-sql-server-management-studio-april-2016-release/
• Microsoft introduces free resources to help IT pros build a career in the cloud
  • Microsoft is introducing two free resources.The first, Microsoft IT Pro Cloud Essentials, provides access to cloud services, training, support and certification. The second, Microsoft IT Pro Career Center, provides cloud career paths, curriculum to learn the cloud roles and industry insights.
  • https://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2016/04/20/microsoft-introduces-free-resources-to-help-it-pros-build-a-career-in-the-cloud
• Learn how to quickly integrate ConfigMgr and Power BI
  • Dashboard allows you to see a single-page summary view of the key metrics for your ConfigMgr and Intune infrastructure, as well as dig into the metrics that are the most relevant to you, like app and OS deployments, client health, and regulation compliance
  • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/configmgrteam/2016/04/01/exploring-your-system-center-configuration-manager-and-microsoft-intune-hybrid-data-on-power-bi-dashboard/
  • https://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2016/04/08/bam-learn-how-to-quickly-integrate-configmgr-and-power-bi/
• Excel 2016 enhances its new Power Query features for fast, easy data gathering and shaping
  • https://blogs.office.com/2016/04/26/more-april-2016-updates-for-get-transform-in-excel-2016-and-the-power-query-add-in/
  • New or improved data transformation features:
    • Ability to append multiple tables within a single Append operation.
    • Alphabetical sort of columns in Choose Columns builder.
    • Improved performance of renaming/removing/reordering columns.
    • One-click Percentage transform.
  • The following new or improved Data Connectivity features:
    • Support for jagged CSV files.
    • Exchange connector—OAuth support.
    • SharePoint List Connector—URL validation.
    • Database Connectors—ability to disable Navigation Columns in Query previews (performance optimization).
    • Web Connector—fine-grained scoping of Credentials.
  • And several other important improvements:
    • Virtualized preview in Query Editor.
    • Option to disable data previews to download in the background (performance optimization).
  • https://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2016/04/26/excel-2016-enhances-its-new-power-query-features-for-fast-easy-data-gathering-and-shaping/
• Free public preview of Azure Media Face Detector now available
  • https://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2016/04/20/free-public-preview-of-azure-media-face-detector-now-available/
• Azure Media Services announced a groundbreaking new Azure Media Analytics suite, support for Apple FairPlay and 360-degree video streaming, as well as certifications by the Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA) and the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT).
  • https://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2016/04/18/azure-media-services-announces-new-products-partnerships-at-nab-show/
• Xamarin is now part of all editions of Visual Studio at no additional charge — from Community to Enterprise — and the company’s plans to open source the Xamarin Software Development Kit (SDK).
  • https://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2016/04/27/future-of-mobile-app-development-underway-at-xamarin-evolve-2016-in-orlando/
• Support for Linux and open source technology in Azure
  • https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2941892
• April Updates to Azure Data Lake Analytics and Azure Data Lake Store
  • https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/azuredatalake/2016/04/24/april-updates-to-azure-data-lake-analytics-and-azure-data-lake-store/
• Microsoft announced that we will be enabling you to run “Bash on Ubuntu on Windows” as a developer tool for Windows 10
  • https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/powershell/2016/04/01/bash-for-windows-why-its-awesome-and-what-it-means-for-powershell/
• DSC Resource Kit Update
  • https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/powershell/2016/04/04/dsc-resource-kit-update/

Recent Whitepapers/E-books/Training/Tutorials

• April’s MTC Studios webcast series—”Unlocking the Power of Your Data Platform”
  • https://blogs.office.com/2016/04/08/aprils-mtc-studios-webcast-series-unlocking-the-power-of-your-data-platform/#w5e0fsGjfKRgMSO4.97
• What's New In SQL Server 2016 Reporting Services
  • https://channel9.msdn.com/events/Microsoft-Data-Insights-Summit/2016/BRE032
• Data Manipulation with R
  • https://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/SupervisionNotRequired/5
• Intro to R Data Structures
  • https://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/SupervisionNotRequired/3

Monthly Script Tips

• [Script Of Apr. 5] Determining which version and edition of SQL Server Database Engine is running
  • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/onescript/2016/04/05/script-of-apr-5-determining-which-version-and-edition-of-sql-server-database-engine-is-running/
• [Script Of Apr. 15] How to monitor system performance and write to SQL Server using Powershell
  • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/onescript/2016/04/15/script-of-apr-15-how-to-monitor-system-performance-and-write-to-sql-server-using-powershell/
• [Script Of Apr. 13] How to view execution status of package in SSISDB in SQL Server
  • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/onescript/2016/04/12/script-of-apr-13-how-to-view-execution-status-of-package-in-ssisdb-in-sql-server/
• [Script Of Apr. 14] How to create partition table quickly in SQL Server
  • https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/onescript/2016/04/13/script-of-apr-14-how-to-create-partition-table-quickly-in-sql-server/

Fany Carolina Vargas | SQL Dedicated Premier Field Engineer | Microsoft Services