SQL Server 2016 Tuning and Management Enhancements

SQL Server 2016, currently available for preview, includes new performance evaluation and monitoring features to help administrators fine-tune query and server performance. They could allow deployment of more workloads on fewer servers to leverage hardware and licensing investments. Updated management tools can configure new SQL Server 2016 features, provide a single portal to control hybrid deployments, and introduce preconfigured security dashboards and reports. Some features will require Azure subscriptions, and preview features are likely to change prior to release.

Performance Tuning Improvements

Monitoring and tuning database performance ensures that applications are processing data in a timely manner to assist in decision making and that existing server capacity is properly utilized. SQL Server 2016 introduces several new performance tuning features that can help administrators monitor and tune queries.

Query Store Tracks Execution Plans

Query Store is a new SQL Server 2016 service that monitors and records a full history of query execution plans to help diagnose performance problems and optimize the query plans. The feature can help resolve performance issues that often arise after upgrading SQL Server with a cumulative update, service pack, or version. It can also help optimize queries and allow existing SQL Server instances to support more workloads, enabling organizations to leverage investments in SQL Server licenses and server hardware.