Just when you thought you got a handle on SQL Server 2012, here comes the next version! SQL Server 2014 was announced yesterday during the TechEd North America 2013 Day 1 Keynote. It is due to be released in early 2014, shortly after the release of Windows Server 2012 R2 (aka Windows Blue Server). A technology preview download (SQL Server 2014 CTP 1) will be available this month, and already released is the Microsoft® SQL Server® 2014 CTP1 Product Guide.
Unfortunately, this is a database-focused release with no changes to the BI-stack (SSAS, SSRS, SSIS).
So what are some of the cool new database-focused features? Here are my favorites:
- Hekaton in-memory OLTP: In-memory database technology that will provide breakthrough performance gains 10 times for existing apps and up to 50 times for new applications optimized for in-memory performance with no additional hardware required. There will be a diagnostic tool that will suggest which databases and tables are the best candidates to run in-memory. The “Hekaton” codename will fade and it will be referred to as the SQL Server In-Memory OLTP Engine. See In-Memory OLTP White Paper and Edgenet Gain Real-Time Access to Retail Product Data with In-Memory Technology
- SSD caching: You can indicate that you want to use a SSD to extend memory. Then SQL Server will automatically cache data in the SSD. This will increase performance by extending SQL Server in-memory buffer pool to SSDs for faster paging
- Updatable clustered column store indexes: This was recently introduced in PDW, where you will be able to load and delete data in existing column-store indexes. They also have faster query speeds and greater data compression, Yea, a new BI-related feature!
- Online maintenance additions: You can rebuild a single partition’s index online as well as switch partitions using lock priorities
- More secondaries for AlwaysOn Availability Groups: Increased from 4 secondaries to 8
- Improved reliability for AlwaysOn Availability Group secondaries: The secondaries will now stay online if the primary goes offline
- Use Azure VMs as AlwaysOn Availability Group replicas: When adding a replica you can specify an Azure VM
- Backup to Azure: With this new feature of backup to Azure, backups can be stored offsite (in the cloud) providing safe storage of backup data
- Smart Backup to Azure: SQL Server determines whether to do a full or differential backup and how often to backup the transaction log to Azure
- Have data/log files in Azure storage: You can have SQL Server on-premise but specify that the data and/or log files should be on Azure
- SSMS Migration Wizard for Windows Azure Infrastructure Services: Easily migrate an on-premises SQL Server database to a Windows Azure Virtual machine with a point and click experience in SSMS. The newly deployed database application can be managed through SSMS or System Center 2012 R2.
- Enhanced Query Processing: Speeds all SQL Server queries regardless of workload. Query processing has been enhanced and split into a two-step process: decision making and execution
- Windows Server 2012 R2: Combining with the new OS provides Increased scale, Network Virtualization, and Storage Virtualization with Storage Spaces
- Enhanced Resource Governor: New capabilities allow you to manage IO
- Enhanced Separation of Duties: Achieve greater compliance with new capabilities for creating role and sub-roles. For example, a database administrator can now manage the data without seeing sensitive data or personally identifiable information
- Statistics improvements: Statistics are now maintained on the partition level
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More info:
SQL Server 2014: A Closer Look
Microsoft’s ‘Blue’ servers: What’s coming when
SQL Server 2014: Unlocking Real-Time Insights
TechEd North America 2013 Editor’s Choice: SQL Server
(Almost) Everything You Need to Know About the Next Version of SQL Server
SQL Server 2014 due out in late 2013, in-memory OLTP a big feature
Video Microsoft SQL Server High Availability and Disaster Recovery on Windows Azure
Video Microsoft SQL Server Future and Features
What’s New for BI in SQL Server 2014?
SQL SERVER 2014: WHAT’S VNEW FOR VNEXT
SQL Server 2014 CTP 1 Business Intelligence Summary
