SQL Server vNext CTP1

My last post was about the new adaptive query processing family of features coming to SQL Server. It’s first introduction is the Memory Grant Feedback functionality now added to our execution plans…all good stuff I promise you.

You can enable this functionality now if you have the CTP1 ofSQL Server vNext. You read that right, this new technology is there for you to play with right now over at the evaluation centre!

That isn’t all there is to it either; amongst other things you can now scale out Integration Services meaning you can execute packages over multiple machines using a master/worker(s) scenario. I really like this having been in situations previously where this kind of functionality would have been really useful!

SQL Server is changing (would evolving be OTT?) and getting on your hands on the CTP (and its future editions) is a must. Personally, I'm getting other teams involved (we are in DevOps era right?) and getting heads together on how we can use the new technology and take advantage of it. Seriously! It's a really innovative time for SQL Server and personally I don't think there is a better time to be working with the product.

SQL Server 2016 - SP1: Warning!

Fresh on the heels of the news last week of Service Pack 1 being released for SQL Server 2016 comes a little word of warning. First the good news, SP1 has unlocked an awful lot of Enterprise functionality for the Standard, Web and even Express editions; more on that here. 


All of that is very good however a word of warning has been issued from the MSSQL Tiger Team if you are using SP1 on the "lower" version: "you might see some unforeseen errors or databases might even be left in suspect state after uninstallation of SQL Server 2016 SP1. Even worse would be if the system databases are using new features for example, partitioned table in master database, it can lead to SQL Server instance unable to start after uninstalling SQL Server 2016 SP1".


If you have installed SP1 and now wish to uninstall it you need to ensure that any of the new features have been disabled and/or dropped from the system. The blog post comes with a handy script to verify if any of the functionality is enabled. You can read all about it (and some other warnings) here on the MSSQL Tiger Team blog, oh and the uninstall works fine in Enterprise Edition.