Exploration of SQL Server 2016 Always Encrypted – Part 1

With the introduction of SQL Server 2016 you now have a new way to encrypt columns called Always Encrypted. With Always Encrypted, data is encrypted at the application layer via ADO.NET. This means you can encrypt your confidential data with your .NET application prior to the data being sent across the network to SQL Server. In this article, Greg Larson explains his experience with exploring setting up a table that stores always encrypted data.

The SQL Server 2016 Query Store: Overview and Architecture

SQL Server's Query Store, introduced in SQL Server 2016, helps to troubleshoot query performance by capturing a range of information about query usage, CPU, memory consumption, I/O and execution time, and retaining every Execution Plan for analysis. Much of this information is available through queries. It looks set to be the most significant enhancement of SQL Server 2016 - Enrico van de Laar explores.

Installing SQL Server 2016

Greg Larson walks through the GUI installation process for SQL Server 2016 and explore these new installation options.

SQL Server 2016 Stretch Database

SQL Server 2016 brings a new feature called Stretch Database, which allows a database to keep transactional data on local instance and warm and cold data on the Azure SQL database platform.

Learning the Query Store

Links and references to understand what the Query Store is in SQL Server 2016.

SQL 2016: Columnstore row group Merge policy and index maintenance improvements

Denzil Ribeiro looks at how SQL Server 2016's new Merge functionality in INDEX REORGANIZE simplifies Columnstore index maintenance significantly.

SQL Server 2016 – Introduction to Stretch Database

Beginning with SQL Server 2016 you will have the ability to store portions of a database in the cloud. Tim Radney introduces Stretch Database by looking at the applications and limitations of the new feature.

Introduction to SQL Server 2016 Temporal Tables

Temporal tables - also known as system-versioned tables, but not to be mistaken with temporary tables - are a new feature of SQL Server 2016 that allow SQL Server to automatically keep a history of the data in the table. This tip from Koen Verbeeck introduces the new feature by explaining how to create a system-versioned table.

Query Store in 2016

Drop a temporal table