Software Update: SQL Server Management Studio 18.11.1

Microsoft recently released version 18.11.1 of SQL Server Management Studio, often abbreviated to SSMS. With SSMS you can manage a Microsoft SQL environment, for example an on-premise SQL Server, but also an Azure SQL Data Warehouse in the cloud. It provides tools for migration, configuration, monitoring and deployment of the different data tier components. You can also assemble queries and scripts. Since version 18.10, the following changes and improvements have been made:

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 18.11.1

what’s new:

• Azure Data Studio installation integration: Installation of SSMS installs Azure Data Studio 1.35.0.
• Data Classification: Introduced Set Microsoft Information Protection Policy menu option.
• Data Classification: Added M365 authentication window to set MIP policy.
• Data Classification: Classify Data page and Add Classification page display the M365 sensitivity labels when in MIP policy mode.
• Data Classification: Added warning icon against the columns if the prior classification and current Information Protection policy mode doesn’t match.
• Link feature for Azure SQL Managed Instance: Introduced connection wizard to assist with establishing a hybrid link between SQL Server and Managed Instance. See Link feature for Azure SQL Managed Instance.
• Link feature for Azure SQL Managed Instance: Introduced failover wizard to assist with migration of databases from SQL Server to Azure SQL Managed Instance using the link feature.
• Link feature for Azure SQL Managed Instance: Introduced dashboard to monitor the status of the hybrid link established between SQL Server and Managed Instance.

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 18.11

what’s new:

• Azure Data Studio installation integration: Installation of SSMS installs Azure Data Studio 1.34.0.
• Data Classification: Updated user interface Modified the Data Classification UI panel to allow users to select specific Schema & Table to display classified columns.
• Data Classification: Updated the Add Classification pane to allow users to add new classifications for columns that are not yet classified.
• Data Classification: Added a new category, All Unclassified, in the Column drop down of the Add Classification page.
• Data Classification: Updated the Recommendations pane to allow Save selected recommendations directly after scanning the entire database.
• General SSMS: Added a dialog box to display the status of an extended open transaction check when closing a T-SQL Query Editor tab.
• Profiler: Added support for trace files from Analysis Services version 16.0.
• Profiler: Added ability to carry over the password from an existing connection when starting SQL Profiler from SSMS.

Bug fixes:

• Accessibility: Fixed focus order for ease of navigation and corrects names read by screen reader in View Facets window.
• Accessibility: Improved names read by Screen Readers in Database properties window.
• Accessibility: Fixed contrast and accessible names in Data Classification Report.
• Accessibility: Multiple Screen reader fixes in the Data Classification Pane.
• Accessibility: Fixed issue with loss of focus indication in Data Classification Pane.
• Always Encrypted: Fixes issue with the New Column Master Key wizard freezing up when creating Always Encrypted column master key using Azure Key Vault as the key store, with the key vault having any of the Rotate key permissions set.
• Analysis Services: Updated Analysis Services dependencies.
• General SSMS: Fixed icon consistency for temporal tables.
• General SSMS: Fixed an issue where SSMS could show an error dialog with an unhelpful message (eg “syntax error ( *EngineEdition != 11)” ).
• General SSMS: Updated Technical Support URL to point to sqlfeedback site.
• General SSMS: Fixed issue with SSMS crashing due to incorrect grid width.
• General SSMS: Fixed issue with arithmetic overflow error in backup system query.
• Import/Export Data-Tier Application: Resolved issue with Bacpac wizard failing when browsing storage accounts.
• Ledger Tables: Ledger objects are visually indicated as such in Object Explorer, history tables are nested under their respective ledger tables, and template ledger table scripts have been added.
• Profiler: Fixed an issue where SSMS was not able to start SQL Profiler when spaces existed between the server name and its port number.
• SQL Agent (Managed Instance): Fixed an issue that prevented creating or adding a step to new or existing SQL Agent job. See SSMS error while editing job step.
• Showplan: Ability to zoom in and out of plans with CTRL + mousewheel. See SQL Server user feedback.
• SMO/Scripting: Added support to script External Streaming Jobs when scripting Databases.
• SSMS Setup: Fixed an issue in the Analysis Services deployment wizard for the JPN SSMS executable.
• SSMS Setup: Fixed an issue where SSMS setup could fail with an ‘Element not found (0x80070490)” [Failed to find expected public key in certificate chain]†
• SSMS Setup: Fixed an issue to support SSMS migrations to later versions.