What’s new for SQL Server 2016 Analysis Services in CTP3.1

After last month’s SQL Server Analysis Services 2016 CTP3 we are shipping yet again this month, with even more updates to Analysis Services. You can now upgrade your model to the SQL Server 2016 compatibility level, use the Visual Studio JSON editor to edit the Tabular BIM file and manage roles directly in SSDT. 

Upgrade a Tabular model to a SQL Server 2016 compatible model

Now with CTP 3.1 you will now be able to upgrade your existing models to the new 1200 compatibility level. This will allow you to leverage new functionality like bi-directional cross filtering and the new scripting language with your existing models.

To upgrade simply open your model into SSDT and change the compatibility lever to “SQL Server 2016 RTM (1200)”:
 

Your model is now upgraded to the latest compatibility level. The only caveat here is that your model cannot contain "pasted tables", this restriction will be lifted in a subsequent release.

Use the Visual Studio JSON editor for the BIM file

Last month we released a new modelling language for tabular models represented using JSON as part of SSDT for Visual Studio 2015. In CTP3 we opened the JSON inside an XML window, giving you a less optimal experience. With this CTP you will be able to work with the JSON document using the Visual Studio JSON editor:

You will now get JSON syntax coloring and syntax validation working inside the editor. 

In this CTP the Visual Studio JSON editor is only available when you have the free Visual Studio 2015 Community or a higher edition installed on your machine. If you don’t have any of these version of Visual Studio installed the JSON will be shown as text. AS soon as you install one of these Visual Studio version above the JSON editor will start to work, installation order doesn't matter.

Create roles in SSDT

In CTP3 creating roles in SSDT was disabled for tabular models in compatibility level 1200, in CTP 3.1 you can now create and manage roles directly in SSDT.

Download now!

To get started download SQL Server 2016 CTP3.1 here. The corresponding tools, SSDT November 2015 for Visual Studio 2015 can be downloaded here.

Stay tuned for more updates and awesome features in the coming months.

Comments

• Anonymous
  November 30, 2015
  Hi, it is possible to create "Attribute-Folder" and "Measure-Folder" with the SSDT 2016 ? Thanks for the answer

• Anonymous
  December 01, 2015
  Hi Patrick, I think you are referring to a feature called "display folders". You can create them in multi dimensional but for Tabular models this is not a supported feature yet. we hope to add this soon, but probably not for SQL16. Thanks, Kasper

• Anonymous
  December 01, 2015
  @Patrick/Kasper - quick note about the BIDSHelper workaround for this issue... www.sqlbi.com/.../organizing-measures-and-attributes-in-folders-with-tabular

• Anonymous
  December 01, 2015
  Is DirectQuery mode supported in compatibility level 1200?

• Anonymous
  December 02, 2015
  Hi Bill, Just making clear that using BIDSHelper is exposing non supported features for Tabular model. Bidshelper also doesn't work for 1200 models as the non supported features are not available. Thanks, Kasper

• Anonymous
  December 02, 2015
  Hi Aaron, Not yet but it will in an upcoming CTP. Thanks, Kasper

• Anonymous
  December 03, 2015
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  December 14, 2015
  Hi Kasper, when you say "Just making clear that using BIDSHelper is exposing non supported features for Tabular model. Bidshelper also doesn't work for 1200 models as the non supported features are not available." Does it mean with SQL Server 2016, we definitively won't have the workarounds like "hide member if" or "display folder" anymore? Because this is a no go criteria for my project. So if it is so, I have to stay on OLAP, but then we are limited with PowerBI... not optimal... Thanks Patricia

• Anonymous
  December 16, 2015
  Hi Patricia, In SQL Server 2016 you can use multiple compatibility levels. When you use the 1103 compatibility in SQL Server 2016 you can still use the same functionality as SQL 2014. The only thing I wanted to point out is that BIDSHelper is leveraging unsupported functionality, if you are comfortable using these features you can still do so in SQL Server 2016 with the 1103 compatibility level. Hope that helps. Thanks, Kasper