SQL Server 2014 – Features Drilldown

In-Memory for OLTP

New high-performance, memory-optimized OLTP engine integrated into SQL Server and designed for modern hardware trends
Integrated into SQL Server relational database
Full ACID support
Memory-optimized indexes (no B-trees or buffer pools)
Non-blocking multiversion optimistic concurrency control (no locks or latches)
T-SQL compiled to native code
Customer benefits
Low latency
Up to 10x improvement in performance
2–5x improvement in scalability
Takes advantage of investments in SQL Server

Separation of Duties Enhancements

What’s being delivered
Three new permissions (CONNECT ANY DATABASE, IMPERSONATE ANY LOGIN, and SELECT ALL USER SECURABLES)
Main benefit
Greater role separation
Ability to create new roles for database administrators who are not sysadmin (super user)
Ability to create new roles for users or apps with specific purposes
Examples:
Database administrators but cannot see user data
Database administrators but cannot modify logins
Database administrators but cannot impersonate any logins
New roles (for example, auditors) to read all data but not database administrators
New roles to read all metadata for monitoring purposes (for example, SCOM) but cannot see user data
New roles for middle tier app to impersonate any login except sa, sysadmin, or other high privilege logins

SSD Buffer Pool Extension and scale up

What’s being delivered
Use of non-volatile drives (SSD) to extend buffer pool
NUMA-Aware large page and BUF array allocation
Main benefits
BP extension for SSDs
Improve OLTP query performance with no application changes
No risk of data loss (using clean pages only)
Easy configuration optimized for OLTP workloads on commodity servers (32 GB RAM)

Online Operations Enhancements

What’s being delivered
Single partition online index rebuild
Managing Lock Priority for table SWITCH and online index rebuild
Built-in diagnostics
Main benefits
Increased concurrency and application availability
New partition-level granularity for online index rebuild enables lower resource (CPU/memory) usage for customers who need uninterrupted access
Provide customers with greater control over impacting running transactions if using switch partition or online index rebuild commands

Easy access to data, big & small
Search, access, and shape internal and external data, and combine with unstructured data
Powerful insights with familiar tools
Speed up analysis and time to insight with the familiarity of Excel in Office and Office 365 and access via mobile devices
Complete BI platform
Scale your BI models and enrich and secure your data with a complete platform spanning cloud and on-premises

Hybrid Cloud Solutions
Enable new hybrid scenarios like cloud backup and cloud DR to reduce costs and improve on-premises DR
Easy On-Ramp to Cloud
Easily migrate and run SQL Server in the cloud to gain benefits of cloud computing
Complete & Consistent
Deploy a complete and consistent data platform from on-premises to cloud