New Features of SQL Server 2016

[Max Samuel]

Databases are the heart of any company that ensures the literal performance of every line of business. But what is the place of the database in modern realities? After all, they did not appear today. They were created at a time when we could not even imagine that the world of technology would be as it is now. Traditional databases were intended solely for recording and retrieving transactions, such as orders and payments. Their task was to ensure reliable and secure operation of applications in a small or medium scale local data center.



SQL Server - helps to realize the full potential of the latest technological trends. It supports hybrid transaction processing, advanced analytics and machine learning, mobile business analytics, data integration, encryption request processing and in-memory transaction processing. Apparently, this is a one-of-a-kind relational database originally intended for the cloud. Most of its functions were originally developed and tested in Azure, in 22 data centers distributed throughout the world, with a load of several billion requests per day. She has already managed to demonstrate excellent results in practice. Many of our clients successfully use this database.
We are pleased to invite you to the key event of the year in the data world - Microsoft Virtual Forum “Data. Technology. SQL Server 2016 ” to be held on June 8, 2016.
Below are the details about some of the new features in SQL Server 2016 - R Services, PolyBase, Stretch Database.

You can find out more and more on our virtual forum .

Analysis within the database using the R language

The R programming language is widely used as data analysis and prediction software. It is free, open source, and supported by a large community. You can use several thousand packages for various tasks. At your service are standard functions of statistics and data management, graphical interfaces and advanced machine learning algorithms. Language R is chosen by scientists and companies who want to innovate using modern analytical methods.

SQL Server R Services is a new component in SQL Server 2016. You can still take advantage of the R language, an ever-growing set of packages and a large community of users, but now you also have the power of SQL Server and the familiar Transact-SQL interface.

R Services allows you to perform analysis within the database. You can store data in SQL Server 2016, and applications call R scripts through a T-SQL stored procedure. This makes it easy to integrate applications with the R language. The R scripts run on the same machine where the data is stored, so you do not need to worry about security: the R code will not be able to access the Internet or other processes running on SQL Server.

R Services users can use the ScaleR algorithm library — a set of functions that offers equivalents for everyday tasks performed in R. However, unlike CRAN-R analogs, ScaleR functions are scalable to handle hundreds of millions and billions of rows through parallel computing. This provides performance that cannot be achieved using common open source packages. The ScaleR APIs were developed by Revolution Analytics. After Microsoft acquired this company, the APIs were integrated into SQL Server. They are cross-platform, that is, they support not only SQL Server kloud.pk/hostings, but also other platforms.

SQL Server also offers existing features and mechanisms for integration and performance improvements. For example, it is possible to use ColumnStore indexes with the R language in order to more quickly perform analytical queries. The built-in control mechanism allows you to control the resources allocated to the runtime environment R. And SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) provides seamless integration with ETL and scheduling scheduled tasks through a stored procedure interface.

Another important feature of R Services is that users can work with familiar tools:

Specialists involved in the study of data, have the opportunity to use the familiar R IDE. They can work with R Studio, with the recently announced R Tools for Visual Studio tools, or with any IDE at their discretion. Instead of transferring data to a local machine, you can use the ScaleR tool to remotely execute directly from the IDE. Using the tools of SQL Server 2016 for analysis within the database allows you to speed up the analysis of large data sets.

Server administrators are familiar with the SQL Server Management Studio leadconcept.com/client-server-application.development.html software for managing R Services, monitoring resources, and assigning access rights.

Application developers can access T-SQL APIs. They can create SQL Server Reporting Services reports or Power BI dashboards with estimates, forecasts and graphics from R without having to learn the R language itself.
Data engineers can combine R with existing ETL streams and plan routine tasks using SQL Server Integration Services.

SQL Server R Services is a unique data analysis solution using the R language, which provides scaling, allows integration with applications in an industrial environment and does not require large financial expenditures.