With Microsoft SQL Server 2016, a variety of new features and enhancements to the data platform deliver breakthrough performance, advanced security, and richer, integrated reporting and analytics capabilities. In this Preview 2 ebook, we introduce three new security features: Always Encrypted, Row-Level Security, and dynamic data masking; discuss enhancements that enable you to better manage performance and storage: TempDB configuration, query store, and Stretch Database; review several improvements to Reporting Services; and also describe AlwaysOn Availability Groups, tabular enhancement, and R integration. This book is a preview edition because it’s not complete; the final edition will be available Spring of 2016.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 2: Better security     1 Always Encrypted     1 Getting started with Always Encrypted     1 Creating a table with encrypted values     7 CREATE TABLE statement for encrypted columns     7 Migrating existing tables to Always Encrypted     9 Row-Level Security     11 Creating inline table functions     11 Creating security policies     14 Using block predicates     15 Dynamic data masking     15 Dynamic data masking of a new table     16 Dynamic data masking of an existing table     16 Understanding dynamic data masking and permissions     17 Masking encrypted values     18 Using dynamic data masking in SQL Database     18 Chapter 3: Higher availability     20 AlwaysOn Availability Groups     20 Supporting disaster recovery with basic availability groups     21 Using group Managed Service Accounts     23 Triggering failover at the database level     23 Supporting distributed transactions     24 Scaling out read workloads     25 Defining automatic failover targets     26 Reviewing the improved log transport performance     27 Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview high-availability enhancements     28 Creating workgroup clusters     29 Configuring a cloud witness     30 Using Storage Spaces Direct     32 Introducing site-aware failover clusters     33 Windows Server Failover Cluster logging     33 Performing rolling cluster operating system upgrades     33 Chapter 4: Improved database engine     35 TempDB enhancements     35 Configuring data files for TempDB     36 Eliminating specific trace flags     37 Query Store     38 Enabling Query Store     38 Understanding Query Store components     39 Reviewing information in the query store     40 Using Force Plan     42 Managing the query store     43 Tuning with the query store     44 Stretch Database     44 Understanding Stretch Database architecture     45 Security and Stretch Database     45 Identifying tables for Stretch Database     46 Configuring Stretch Database     47 Monitoring Stretch Database     48 Backup and recovery with Stretch Database     49 Chapter 6: More analytics     50 Tabular enhancements     50 Accessing more data sources with DirectQuery     51 Modeling with a DirectQuery source     51 Working with calculated tables     54 Bidirectional cross-filtering     56 Writing formulas     60 Introducing new DAX functions     60 Using variables in DAX     63 R integration     64 Installing and configuring R Services     64 Getting started with R Services     65 Using an R Model in SQL Server     74 Chapter 7: Better reporting     77 Report content types     77 Paginated report development enhancements     77 Introducing changes to paginated report authoring tools     78 Exploring new data visualizations     79 Managing parameter layout in paginated reports     84 Mobile report development     85 KPI development     85 Report access enhancements     86 Accessing reports with modern browsers     86 Viewing reports on mobile devices     88 Printing without ActiveX     88 Exporting to PowerPoint     90 Pinning reports to Power BI     92 Managing subscriptions     93 About the authors     96