SQL Server release 2016

SQL Server 2016 General Release

SQL has long been the go-to database platform providing market leading security and Business Intelligence (BI) capabilities. Now Microsoft have released SQL Server 2016, which is packed full of new features. As a company specialising in business management software (i.e. Microsoft Dynamics® NAV) with SQL databases at their core, our focus is on the real world benefits to people trying to manage their business systems. Here we will look at some of the key features.

SQL Server 2016: Everything Built In

The reality of The Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data is that it is becoming more than just something that is talked about by experts and something that businesses are actually using to drive performance. SQL has a wide range of features that are not only part of the package but actually built in to the core of its operation. This helps to reduce the effects of increased performance requirements and makes the functionality much more usable.

In-database Advanced Analytics

Most databases get analytics based on moving data to the application tier; as data volumes increase the burden on the application tier increases creating high latency which effects database scalability. SQL allows you to analyse operational data in real time using R Services from directly within the SQL Server database. This means that data does not need to be moved for analysis and greatly improves both the performance and scalability of the system. 

End to end mobile BI

Microsoft have been making a big push on making big use of Big Data, with it’s market leading Power BI application bringing Business Intelligence (BI) from the bottom of a list of software benefits to a key selling point. As part of the BI reporting road map, the latest release of SQL marks a significant milestone for SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). The Microsoft SQL Server Mobile Report Publisher allows a simple connection to SSRS to access data and create attractive and meaningful reports and publish them via web and mobile devices. Included as part of the Power BI app, the single unified mobile experience allows for easier access to dashboards and reports. 

Least Vulnerable Database

SQL has an unmatched security record, with six years of achieving the least number of vulnerabilities of any major database platform. This data is compiled by the independent government agency, the National Insitute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The Always Encrypted features allow developers to protect data allows trust from businesses with mission critical data work-flows.

Industry Leading OLTP

In-Memory Online Transaction Processing (OLTP), also known as In-Memory Optimization, is the latest in Microsoft’s processing technology. The effect is that the data processing is the highest on the market based on a high availability of the data. When originally shipped with SQL server 2014 (code named Hekaton) there were certain limitations such as limited memory of tables, limited data type, etc.

With SQL Server 2016 Microsoft has addressed most of these restrictions, allowing you to take advantage of the many performance improvements without any of the previous issues that blocked the adoption of the platform.

From on-premises to Cloud

Microsoft’s big push for cloud applications and cloud storage has been at the forefront of their developmental road map. With the latest release of SQL they have provided a consistent experience across servers and database as a service. This makes it easier for companies to adopt the platform whether their data is in a datacentre, private cloud or in Microsoft Azure, allowing for easier transition between these hosting platforms.

SQL Server Training

To find out more about using SQL server, why not get trained by the experts by booking on to our SQL Server Basics training course.


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