---
title: Updated - SQL Server docs | Microsoft Docs
description: Display snippets of updated content for recently changed in documentation, for SQL Server.

manager: craigg
author: MightyPen
ms.author: genemi
ms.topic: article
ms.custom: UpdArt.exe
ms.suite: sql
ms.technology: release-landing
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: sql-non-specified

ms.component: sql-server
ms.date: 04/28/2018
---
# New and Recently Updated: SQL Server docs



Nearly every day Microsoft updates some of its existing articles on its [Docs.Microsoft.com](http://docs.microsoft.com/) documentation website. This article displays excerpts from recently updated articles. Links to new articles might also be listed.

This article is generated by a program that is rerun periodically. Occasionally an excerpt can appear with imperfect formatting, or as markdown from the source article. Images are never displayed here.

Recent updates are reported for the following date range and subject:



- *Date range of updates:*   **2018-02-03**   -to-   **2018-04-28**
- *Subject area:*   **SQL Server**.




 

## New Articles Created Recently

The following links jump to new articles that have been added recently.


1. [How to contribute to SQL Server Documentation](sql-server-docs-contribute.md)
2. [SQL Server privacy supplement](sql-server-privacy.md)



 

## Updated Articles with Excerpts

This section displays the excerpts of updates gathered from articles that have recently experienced a large update.

The excerpts displayed here appear separated from their proper semantic context. Also, sometimes an excerpt is separated from important markdown syntax that surrounds it in the actual article. Therefore these excerpts are for general guidance only. The excerpts only enable you to know whether your interests warrant taking the time to click and visit the actual article.

For these and other reasons, do not copy code from these excerpts, and do not take as exact truth any text excerpt. Instead, visit the actual article.





 

<a name="compactupdatedlist"/>

### Compact List of Articles Updated Recently

This compact list provides links to all the updated articles that are listed in the Excerpts section.

1. [SQL Server 2012 Service Pack release notes](#TitleNum_1)
2. [SQL Server 2016 Release Notes](#TitleNum_2)
3. [SQL Server Documentation](#TitleNum_3)




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<a name="TitleNum_1"/>

### 1. &nbsp; [SQL Server 2012 Service Pack release notes](sql-server-2012-sp4-release-notes.md)

*Updated: 2018-04-25* &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  ([Next](#TitleNum_2))

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- **Automatic Soft-NUMA partitioning** – With SQL 2014 SP2, Automatic [Soft-NUMA](https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/ms345357(SQL.120).aspx) partitioning is introduced when Trace Flag 8079 is enabled at the server level. When Trace Flag 8079 is enabled during startup, SQL Server 2014 SP2 interrogates the hardware layout and automatically configures Soft NUMA on systems reporting 8 or more CPUs per NUMA node. The automatic soft NUMA behavior is Hyperthread (HT/logical processor) aware. The partitioning and creation of additional nodes scales background processing by increasing the number of listeners, scaling, and network and encryption capabilities. It is recommended to first test the performance of the workload with Auto-Soft NUMA before it is turned ON in production.

**Service Pack 3 release notes**


**Download pages**

- [SQL Server 2012 SP3 Feature Pack](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=615935)
- [SQL Server 2012 SP3 Express](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=692144)

For more detailed information to identify the location and name of the file to download based on your currently installed version, see the "Select the correct file to download" section in [SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 3 release information](https://support.microsoft.com/help/3072779/sql-server-2012-service-pack-3-release-information).

**Service Pack 2 release notes**


**Download pages**

- [SQL Server 2012 SP2 Feature Pack](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=401008)
- [SQL Server 2012 SP2 Express](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=401007)

Use the table below to identify the location and name of the file to download based on your currently installed version. Download pages have system requirements and basic installation instructions.

|If your current installed version is...|And you want to...|Download and install...|



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<a name="TitleNum_2"/>

### 2. &nbsp; [SQL Server 2016 Release Notes](sql-server-2016-release-notes.md)

*Updated: 2018-04-27* &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  ([Previous](#TitleNum_1) | [Next](#TitleNum_3))

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  This article describes limitations and issues with SQL Server 2016 releases, including service packs. For information on what's new, see [What's New in SQL Server 2016](https://docs.microsoft.com/sql/sql-server/what-s-new-in-sql-server-2016).

- Download SQL Server 2016 from the **[Evaluation Center](https://www.microsoft.com/evalcenter/evaluate-sql-server-2016)**
- Azure Virtual Machine small: Have an Azure account?  Then go **[Here](https://azure.microsoft.com/marketplace/partners/microsoft/sqlserver2016sp1standardwindowsserver2016/)** to spin up a Virtual Machine with SQL Server 2016 SP1 already installed.
- Download SSMS: To get the latest version of SQL Server Management Studio, see **[Download SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)]**.

**<a name="bkmk_2016sp2"></a>SQL Server 2016 Service Pack 2 (SP2)**


SQL Server 2016 SP2 includes all cumulative updates released after 2016 SP1, up to and including CU8.

- [Microsoft Download SQL Server 2016 Service Pack 2 (SP2)](https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=869608)
- For a complete list of updates, see [SQL Server 2016 Service Pack 2 release information](https://support.microsoft.com/help/4052908/sql-server-2016-service-pack-2-release-information)



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<a name="TitleNum_3"/>

### 3. &nbsp; [SQL Server Documentation](sql-server-technical-documentation.md)

*Updated: 2018-04-27* &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  ([Previous](#TitleNum_2))

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<!-- : : : m-r -->
**Try SQL Server!**
- Download from Evaluation Center: [Download SQL Server for Windows](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=829477)
- Download from Evaluation Center: Download SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
- Download from Evaluation Center: Download SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT)
- Create Virtual Machine: [Get a Virtual Machine with SQL Server](https://azure.microsoft.com/services/virtual-machines/sql-server/?wt.mc_id=sqL16_vm)





## Similar articles about new or updated articles

This section lists very similar articles for recently updated articles in other subject areas, within our public GitHub.com repository: [MicrosoftDocs/sql-docs](https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/sql-docs/).



#### Subject areas that *do* have new or recently updated articles

- [New + Updated (11+6): &nbsp; &nbsp;**Advanced Analytics for SQL** docs](../advanced-analytics/new-updated-advanced-analytics.md)
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#### Subject areas that do *not* have any new or recently updated articles

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- [New + Updated (0+0): **PowerShell for SQL** docs](../powershell/new-updated-powershell.md)
- [New + Updated (0+0): **Samples for SQL** docs](../samples/new-updated-samples.md)
- [New + Updated (0+0): **SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA)** docs](../ssma/new-updated-ssma.md)
- [New + Updated (0+0): **XQuery for SQL** docs](../xquery/new-updated-xquery.md)