SQL Server 2012 New Features and Enhancements

Hadoop Integration »

Hadoop integration allows organizations to move data back and forth from Hadoop to SQL Server. This allows the strong data analysis tools included in SQL Server 2012 to be used to analyze and report on unstructured Hadoop data.

XTIVIA can help you import and export data with an existing Hadoop cluster.

SQL server Hadoop connectors allow the import of unstructured data from Hadoop into SQL Server tables where it can be integrated with data warehouse and BI solutions. The ability to submit a MapReduce or Hive request through SQL Server Integration Services substantially improves the ability to take advantage of a NoSQL database.

Distributed Replay »

Distributed Replay helps companies test changes or a real workload without impacting your production servers. Distributed Replay allows us to collect a workload from a production server and the “replay” that workload on a test system. It is particularly helpful in assessing the impact of hardware changes, performance tuning and configuration changes.

XTIVIA can help you set up and use Distributed Replay in SQL Server 2012.

Distributed Replay is a powerful tool that allows us to capture a workload from a production server and replay that on another SQL Server. This will enhance testing ability for performance as well as providing a “real” test for determining quality of code changes.

Enhanced PowerShell Support »

PowerShell gives companies a rich scripting language that has capabilities built on .Net. Using PowerShell allows automation of many tasks that would previously required user interaction with the servers.

XTIVIA can help you write, troubleshoot and implement PowerShell scripts.

New PowerShell cmdlets enhance the ability to manage SQL Server with PowerShell.

User Defined Server Roles »

User Defined Server Roles provide companies with a fine grained permission control at a server level rather than at a database level. This will help to maintain consisten application of security policies acrodd all databases on a server.

XTIVIA can help you implement User Defined Server Roles. We can help you with creation of these roles and setting permissions.

Previously Server roles were fixed and no additions could be made. With this change a Server role may be created that will apply to all databases on the server. This will substantially simplify management where users need to access multiple databases with the same capabilities.

Master Data Services »

SQL Server Master Data Services provides a single location for all data. It is designed to resolve issue with inconsistent data from multiple sources including non-SQL Server databases.

XTIVIA can help implement Master Data Services. We can help with planning, design, implementation and testing.

Master Data Services allows for data alignment of data from multiple applications. This allows a “single version of the truth”. It also allows management of data consistency across multiple database platforms like Oracle, SQL Server and IBM Db2.

Power View »

Power View opens up ad hoc reporting for consumers of data. It provides access to data based on PowerPivot workbooks or tabular models deployed to Sql Server Analysis Services 2012.

XTIVIA can help with BI needs related to the tools built into SQL Server 2012 as well as previous versions of SQL Server.

Power View is a feature of SQL Server reporting Services. It provides ad hoc reporting capability. Power View improves on Self-Service BI allowing presentation and data visualization of live data.

Contained Databases »

Using a contained database can simplify database migrations and also improve the functionality of AlwaysOn.

XTIVIA can help you understand and implement Contained databases.

Contained databases are partially isolated from other databases on an instance of SQL Server. User authentication can be handled within the database and don’t require a SQL Server login. Many activities such as migrating a database to another server can be simplified with a contained database. There are objects that can’t be contained – things like linked servers, jobs, and stored procedures that are in databases external to the contained database. Contained databases can simplify database movement with AlwaysOn.

Columnstore indexes »

Columnstore indexes add Columnar Storage capabilities to SQL Server 2012. The benefits for BI are substantially improved performance in querying large sets of data. Performance improvements of at least 10x are common in situations where Columnstore indexes are appropriate.

XTIVIA can help you determine if Columnstore indexes are a good fit for your needs and also assist in implementing the indexes.

Columnstore Indexes store data from a column in sets of pages. This is different from a normal SQL Server index where data from rows of data are stored in a set of pages. It is common to see a 10x performance improvement with a dramatic increase in IO.

SQL Server Data Tools »

SQL Server Data Tools build on the capabilities of the Business Intelligence Design Studio. It adds capabilities for doing development and maintenance of databases with Visual Studio.

XTIVIA can work with your developers to help with problem resolution and performance enhancement.

SQL Server Data Tools is a replacement for Business Intelligence Development Studio. It allows you to do everything that you could do in BIDS as well as schema and data comparison, SQLCLR development, stored procedure debugging and tools for database development.

Always On »

AlwaysOn provides enhanced availability of your critical SQL Server databases. With AlwaysOn you reduce unplanned downtime as well as planned downtime. AlwaysOn combines High Availability with Disaster Recovery.

XTIVIA can assist you with an AlwaysOn implementation from planning to implementation to testing.

AlwaysOn Availability Groups – Availability Groups enhance the feature set of database mirroring. Availability groups improve control over when failover occurs and allow groups of databases to fail as a unit. Availability groups allow you to configure up to four replicas of the group.

Windows Server Failover Clustering – Availability Groups take advantage of enhancements to Windows Clustering. Windows Server Failover clustering solves two big problems: Problems with clustering SQL Server across subnets and the requirement for shared storage.