New features in SQL Server 2025

Proposed session for SQLBits 2026

TL; DR

With the release of SQL Server 2025, join Microsoft Data Platform MVP Andrew Pruski for a deep dive into ten exciting new features (that aren't AI) that will shape the way we work with the platform.

Session Details

With the release of SQL Server 2025, join Microsoft Data Platform MVP Andrew Pruski for a deep dive into ten exciting new features (that aren't AI) that will shape the way we work with the platform.

We'll explore enhancements across multiple areas of the engine, including:
- Query execution: Optimized Locking, ABORT_QUERY_EXECUTION, and improvements to sp_executesql.
- TempDB: Space resource governance, accelerated recovery in TempDB, and support for tmpfs on Linux.
- Extended Events: Time-bound extended events to prevent events consuming resources and potentially generating a large amount of data
- Backups: Full and differential backups on secondary availability group replicas, plus the new ZSTD compression algorithm.
- Brand-new capability: Invoking external REST API endpoints directly from SQL Server.

This session is aimed at anyone working with SQL Server who wants to understand the new capabilities in 2025.

3 things you'll get out of this session

Overview and demos of new query features in SQL 2025 Overview and demos of new tempdb features in SQL 2025 Overview and demos of a hitting external resources

Andrew Pruski's other proposed sessions for 2026

AI-Powered Search in SQL Server 2025 - 2026

Andrew Pruski's previous sessions

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