Aaron Bertrand shows how he finds hidden features in new SQL Server builds:
One of the areas I like to focus on is new features in SQL Server. Under both MVP and Microsoft Partner programs, I get to see a lot of builds of SQL Server that don’t make it to the public, and documentation for these builds is typically sparse. In order to get a head start on testing things out, I often need to explore on my own. And so I wrote some scripts for that, which I’ve talked about in previous blog posts:
- How I spot not-yet-documented features in SQL Server CTPs
- More ways to discover changes in new versions of SQL Server
When I install a new version of SQL Server (be it a cumulative update, the final service pack for a major version, or the first CTP of vNext), there are two steps:
Create a linked server to the build that came before it
Create local synonyms referencing the important catalog views in the linked server
It’s a good way to get a glimpse at which features devs are currently working on but haven’t enabled yet.