September 12, 2012, 1:19 PM — As we've come to expect from new SQL Server releases, SQL Server 2012 has so many new features that it's impossible even to mention them all. Nearly everyone is well served, from the BI-hungry users of Reporting Services to the IT folks who oversee query performance and uptime. SQL Server 2012 brings improvements across the board, with only a few disappointing exceptions.
Reporting Services adds a Web front end for data exploration and visualization called Power View. Analysis Services introduces a new semantic model, giving BI specialists more flexibility in building solutions. New column store indexing shifts query performance into high gear, while new Data Quality Services and improvements to Master Data Services round out the tools for taking care of company data.
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Of course, SQL Server 2012 also has a slew of new features that hit DBAs right where they live. I'll focus on these in this review, starting with some new capabilities that take high availability to a new level.
