there is cumulative update package 2 for SQL Server 2014 available.

https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2967546/en-us

Cheers,
Heinz

The 1^st cumulative update release for SQL Server 2014 RTM is now available for download at the Microsoft Support site.

To learn more about the release and get the CU, please visit:

• CU#1 KB Article: https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2931693

Cheers,

Heinz

SQL Server 2014 enables customers to build mission-critical applications and Big Data solutions using high-performance, in-memory technology across OLTP, data warehousing, business intelligence and analytics workloads.

SQL Server 2014 uses a common set of tools to deploy and manage databases both on-premises and in the cloud, which makes it easier for customers to take advantage of the cloud with existing skills.

SQL Server 2014 CTP2 is now available for download.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/dn205290.aspx

Note: As you already know, SQL Server 2014 CTP2 should NOT be installed and used in production Environments.

So, let me write about some new cool features and functions in SQL Server 2014.

SQL Server 2014 helps organizations by delivering:

• Mission Critical Performance across all database workloads with In-Memory for online transaction processing (OLTP), data warehousing and business intelligence built-in as well as greater scale and availability
• Platform for Hybrid Cloud enabling organizations to more easily build, deploy and manage database solutions that span on-premises and cloud
• Faster Insights from Any Data with a complete BI solution using familiar tools like Excel

In-Memory Support for all workloads

SQL server 2014 provides in-memory technology for all workloads.

• In-Memory OLTP: Provides in-memory OLTP capabilities built into core SQL Server database to significantly improve the performance of your database application. In-Memory OLTP is installed with the SQL Server 2014 Engine without requiring any additional actions and allows in-memory performance benefits without rewriting your database application or refreshing your hardware. SQL Server 2014 CTP2 enhancements include AlwaysOn support, increased TSQL surface area, and ability to migrate existing objects to In-Memory OLTP.
• Natively compiled stored procedures: Natively compiled stored procedures are Transact-SQL stored procedures compiled to native code that access memory-optimized tables. Natively compiled stored procedures allow for efficient execution of the queries and business logic in the stored procedure.
• In-Memory Updateable ColumnStore:  Yes, it is updateable!! Provides higher compression, richer query support and updateability of the existing ColumnStore for data warehousing workloads giving you even faster load speed, query performance, concurrency, and even lower price per terabyte.
• Extending Memory to SSDs:  Seamlessly and transparently integrates solid-state storage into SQL Server by using SSDs as an extension to the database buffer pool, allowing more in-memory processing and reducing disk IO.
• New Enhanced Query Processing: Speeds all SQL Server queries regardless of workload. Absolutely great enhancement in SQL 2014.

Enhanced High Availability

• New AlwaysOn features: Availability Groups now support up to 8 secondary replicas that remain available for reads at all times, even in the presence of network failures. Failover Cluster Instances now support Windows Cluster Shared Volumes, improving the utilization of shared storage and increasing failover resiliency.
• Improved Online Database Operations: Includes single partition online index rebuild and managing lock priority for table partition switch, reducing maintenance downtime Impact.

Resource Governance

• Enhanced resource governance: Yes, SQL Server 2014 new capabilities allow you to manage IO, in addition to compute and memory to provide more predictable Performance.

Security

• 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.
• Encrypted Backup: Provides encryption support for backups, on-premise and in Windows Azure.

Windows Azure Support

• Azure Integrated AlwaysOn availability groups : Easily add replicas in Windows Azure to on-premise Availability Groups. Very cool feature, easy to handle through the availability group wizard !
• Deployment Wizard: Easily deploy on-premise SQL Server databases to Windows Azure.
• SQL XI (XStore Integration): Supports SQL Server Database files (from on-premise and Windows Azure) on Windows Azure Storage blobs.
• Smart Backup: Provides management and automation of SQL Server backups (from on-premise and Windows Azure) to Windows Azure storage.

SQL Server 2014 brings to the maket many new exciting capabilities that will deliver tremendous value to customers.

For further questions, more Information and Demos about SQL Server 2014, don't hestiate to contact me.

Cheers,
Heinz

The Cumulative update package 1 for SQL Server 2012 SP1 is available.

https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2765331

This build number of this cumulative update package is 11.0.3321.0.

Cheers,
Heinz

With a slipstream Image you can install SQL Server 2012 SP1 directly without the need to install SQL Server 2012 SP1 separately after installation of SQL Serer 2012. Unfortunately, by using the ISO images that were previously posted on MSDN and TechNet, SQL Server 2012 SP1 does not install successfully after you install the image.

https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2783963/en-us

Workaround. After you installed SQL Server 2012 SP1 with one of those ISO images, reinstall SQL Server SP1 again.

Cheers,
Heinz

SQL Server 2012 SP1 is available for download.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35575

Cheers,
Heinz

Since October 15 and 18, 2012 there are new cumulative update packages for SQL 2012 and SQL 2008R2.

You will find information about the Hotfixes that are included in those packages in the kb article.

Cheers,

Heinz

Roger Breu and René Balzano moves to another roles so I am also a new Author for the SwissSQL Blog.

Let me introduce myself to you,
My Name is Karl-Heinz Suetterlin but everyone call me Heinz because it is shorter.

I am a SQL Server Technology Specialist for Microsoft Switzerland. I am the guy for the relational engine with everything around High Availability, Disaster Recovery, Very Large Databases, Data Warehousing and also everything about FastTrack and a bit Parallel Data Warehouse.

Cheers,

Heinz

From what I’ve heard from my colleagues and friends, the SQL PASS Summit this year in Seattle was one of the greatest conferences on SQL Server, ever. Unfortunately I haven’t had the time to attend in person, but I followed all the public streamings of the keynotes. I definitely recommend you to view the keynotes “on demand” on https://www.sqlpass.org/summit/2011/Live/LiveStreaming.aspx.

In this blog post I’d like to give you a little overview of what has been announced by us enriched with additional comments and lots of recommended resources…

SQL Server Codename “Denali” gets an official name

In short:

• SQL Server Codename “Denali” is now SQL Server 2012
• Project Crescent is now Power View
• Project Juneau is now SQL Server Data Tools

So it’s time now again to change all my slides with the new official logo and to train the names at least 1000 times in front of a mirror But I’m sure I’ll get caught in talking about the codenames at least a few times.

And one point here to add: You may all know that I am not the BI specialist, I’m focusing more on the RDBMS and relational Data Warehouses, but I am very excited about what we are going to deliver with Power View. And especially now as Amir Netz officially confirmed that Export to PowerPoint (which was cut and not planned to ship) made it back into the plan.

Consolidate Thousands of Databases: Just Add Power

I am also very excited about the announcement and availability of the new Database Consolidation Appliance which we co-engineered together with HP. To get a first idea, watch the cool video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZNuStftJNo&feature=youtu.be

Key attribute for the appliance is the ability to consolidate 1000’s of databases with no application changes. We use virtualization technology based on Hyper-V to give you the freedom of what you’d like to install on your VMs. It is not a blackbox! You can use your existing tools for backup or management for example. It is not just Hardware and Software plugged together, it is definitely more!

From my experiences as Consultant in various consolidation projects, I can truly say that identifying consolidation candidates and sizing/tuning the platform are the most time consuming tasks. This appliance has baked-in tools and processes for deployment and management based on our Assessment and Planning Toolkit (https://www.microsoft.com/map) aswell as our System Center Family (SCOM/SCCM/SCVMM/SCDPM) in helping you to exactly address these topics. And most important: the Hardware is sized and tuned for handling the database workload!

All these components give you a very fast and flexible way to consolidate your database environment and achieve following goals:

• Self-Service: baked-in processes and portals based on our System Center Familiy help you build your own Self-Service database deployment or integrate with your existing processes
• Scalable: The appliance scales from a half rack solution up to ten racks.
• Elastic: With SCVMM and Hyper-V your VMs get automatically balanced across the appliance. All the VMs get their ressources they need.
• Multi-tenant/Shared: With Hyper-V you get the flexiblity of dedicate and separate VMs in terms of network and storage. Even VLAN tags get routed through.
• Metered by use: You’ll be able to calculate individual usage and charge back your internal customers. And you don’t need to build something on your own, it’s already part of the solution.

If you read those goals, you may have heard them already. Yes, these are all attributes for a cloud service! The Database Consolidation Appliance is the platform for your private database cloud.

And the best thing: as soon as SQL Server 2012 is available, you can immediatly start to use it on this appliance and get even more flexibility for high availability or disaster recovery solutions in using the new AlwaysOn Availability Groups. Please also have a look on my previous blog post: https://blogs.technet.com/b/swisssql/archive/2011/08/26/sql-server-alwayson-availability-groups-new-combined-ha-dr-solution-for-sql-server-and-the-path-to-your-own-sql-server-cloud.aspx

The Database Consolidation Appliance is preinstalled and preconfigured with the flexibility to buy a ½ rack up to 10 racks. The Appliance will be available in mid-November. Learn more about it on https://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/solutions-technologies/Appliances/HP-dca.aspx

News for SQL Azure

Not only the private cloud is evolving, we also announced new features for SQL Azure.

Two new Community Technology Previews (CTPs) are immediately available and enhance BI capabilities and connecting data in the cloud and on-premises:

• SQL Azure Reporting enables developers to use familiar tools to create and deploy operational reports to the cloud. This new CTP is broadly available to all SQL Azure customers: simply visit the Windows Azure Management Portal and start using the SQL Azure Reporting CTP today!
• SQL Azure Data Sync enables easier sharing and synchronization between multiple SQL Server and SQL Azure databases. SQL Azure Data Sync is also available now for trial directly within the Windows Azure Management Portal.

The SQL Azure Q4 2011 Service Release will be available by end of 2011 and includes following key features:

• The maximum database size for individual SQL Azure databases will be expanded 3x from 50 GB to 150 GB.
• With SQL Azure Federation, databases can be elastically scaled out using the sharding database pattern based on database size and the application workload. This new feature will make it dramatically easier to set up sharding, automate the process of adding new shards, and provide significant new functionality for easily managing database shards.
• Enhanced management portal with significant new features including the ability to more easily monitor databases, drill-down into schemas, query plans, spatial data, indexes/keys, and query performance statistics.
• Expanded support for user-controlled collations

Quentin Clark also disclosed a new feature for SQL Server 2012 Management Studio: Snapshot backups directly to SQL Azure or Windows Azure Storage.

Manage “Big Data”

For this topic I really encourage you to enjoy the great keynote by David DeWitt!

We announced the general availability of the Hadoop connector for SQL Server and Hadoop connector for SQL Server Parallel Data Warehouse free to licensed SQL Server & PDW customers. These connectors will enable bi-directional data movement across SQL Server and Hadoop enabling you to work effectively with both structured and unstructured data.

We plan to deliver a Hadoop based distribution for Windows Server and Hadoop based service for Windows Azure. You will also be able to integrate and analyze data from Hadoop with PowerPivot and Power View in a very interactive way. Our first set of deliverables here will include a Hive ODBC Driver and Hive Add-in for Excel.

A strategic partnership with Hortonworks enables us to build on the experience and expertise from the Hadoop ecosystem. This helps us enabling Hadoop to run great on Windows Server and Windows Azure. Hortonworks was formed by the key architects and core Hadoop committers from the Yahoo! Hadoop software engineering team in June 2011 and the team is a major driving force behind the next generation of Apache Hadoop.

We also demonstrated a new prototype for connecting structured and unstructured data, called “Data Explorer”.

More Information on https://www.microsoft.com/bigdata

Get SQL Server 2012 CTP3 now!

Try out SQL Server 2012 CTP3. Download it on https://www.microsoft.com/betaexperience/pd/SQLDCTP3CTA/enus/

And as always my call to use https://connect.microsoft.com, file your feedback and your suggestions.