SQL Server 2016 Service Pack 1 introduced CREATE OR ALTER. I use it for repeatable deployments of supported object types.
SQL SERVER – SSMS Enhancement – Databases Node Filter Capability
A client with 86 databases struggled to find one in Object Explorer. A newer SSMS Enhancement lets you filter the Databases node. Here is how it works.
How to Get Started with SQL Server 2016? – Interview Question of the Week #086
A candidate asked me in an interview: how do I get started with SQL Server 2016? Here is my answer for anyone who has not tried it yet.
Encrypt PII Data in SQL Server 2016: Notes from the Field #132
To encrypt PII data in SQL Server, first decide where each value must stay readable. Mike Lawell’s guest lesson is kept, and tested examples now show what masking hides, what cell-level encryption protects, and why Always Encrypted rejects plaintext sent from a query window.
SQL SERVER 2016 – Developer Edition Does Not Expire Like Evaluation Edition
Developer Edition is not the 180-day Evaluation Edition. I check the edition before treating a calculated date as an expiration.
SQL SERVER 2016 – InMemory OLTP LOB Datatype Enhancement
SQL Server 2016 brings InMemory OLTP LOB datatype support to memory-optimized tables and natively compiled procedures. Here is what I found exploring it.
Stretch Database in SQL Server 2016: Notes from the Field #127
Kenneth Urena shows how to use Stretch Database, the SQL Server 2016 feature that moves cold table data to Azure while hot data stays on premises. Microsoft has since discontinued it.