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Category: Versions

SQL Server 2016 CTP 3.3 Available

Published 2016-02-04 by Kevin Feasel

CTP 3.3 is now generally available:

In SQL Server 2016 CTP 3.3, available for download or in an Azure VM today, some of the key improvements include:

  • Continued enhancement of Stretch Database: Stretch Database allows you to stretch operational tables in a secure manner into Azure for cost-effective historic data availability. CTP 3.3 includes multiple improvements to Stretch Database, including Azure Stretch database edition preview with support for up to 60TB, Point-in-time restore and geo-failover support.

  • Enhancements to In-Memory OLTP: In-Memory OLTP, which dramatically improves transaction processing performance, has added support in CTP 3.3.

  • Enhancements to Analysis Services DirectQuery models: Analysis Services Tabular Models running in DirectQuery mode now also allows us of DAX filters when defining roles and creation of calculated columns.

  • Enhancements to the new Reporting Services web portal: An updated preview of the new web portal now enables you to add the KPIs and reports you use to your Favorites, to create and edit shared data sources for your KPIs and reports, and to perform other management tasks.

Admittedly, none of those strikes me as compelling “must-download” reasons but the technical overview does have some more details.

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Feature Spelunking

Published 2015-12-03 by Kevin Feasel

Aaron Bertrand shows us how to find hidden features in CTPs:

In honesty, I’m just meticulous about installing each new build and immediately digging into the metadata. It would be hard to take a look at sys.all_objects and identify what’s new by sight; even columns like create_date and modify_date are not as accurate as you might expect. (For example, in CTP 3.1, sp_helpindex has a create_date of 2015-11-21 18:03:15.267.)

So instead of relying on photographic memory or hoping that something new will jump out at me while scanning the new catalog, I always install the new CTP side-by-side with the previous CTP (or, in the case of the very first CTP, side-by-side with the previous version). Then I can just perform various types of anti-semi-joins across a linked server to see objects and columns that have been added, removed, or changed.

Very interesting.

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