The Difference a Day Makes: SSMS 2016, Azure, and Extended Events

Failed to connect to server (local). (Microsoft.SqlServer.ConnectionInfo)
Login failed for user 'login_name'. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 18456)

If I instead tried to script the Extended Events session using Script > Create As, SSMS would crash. Not just a normal crash, but an I-have-stopped-responding, do-not-pass-go, do-not-auto-receover-any-open-files crash. In the event viewer I saw this pair of errors (omitting full stack trace for brevity):

Error 1000, Application Error
Error 1026, .NET Runtime
Application: Ssms.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.XEvent.XEventException
   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.S…

If you have 13.0.11000.48, and you are encountering any Object Explorer click- or right-click-related issues, there is an easy way to get to the newer build, 13.0.11000.78. I think the later build is a good idea anyway - it likely has just an extra day or two of development and fixes baked in (the build in the CTP 3.3 distribution was constrained by publishing schedules).

Please do not install either of these SSMS builds if your current SSMS version is 13.0.11000.28 — I haven't tested this scenario, and I have a sneaking suspicion it will not go well. Anything <= 13.0.1001 should be fine, though.

The download for 13.0.11000.78 is currently available from TechNet (direct link), though that page erroneously states:

And in fact, you might see the following prompt sooner than later, if you have enabled update notifications for SSMS, or go to Tools > Check for Updates...

By all means, go ahead and run the update.

After installing this build — which may require a restart both before and after installation — you should be here:

Notice, though, how the SSMS version has taken a step forward, but the SSAS client version has taken a step backward. In fact, on three separate systems, I'm seeing mismatches in some of these component versions that I can't explain:

I think there is a lot of shuffling going on due to parallel work in Management Studio. A story for another day perhaps.

Aaron Bertrand

Aaron (@AaronBertrand) is a Data Platform MVP with industry experience dating back to Classic ASP and SQL Server 6.5. He is editor-in-chief of the performance-related blog, SQLPerformance.com. Aaron's blog focuses on T-SQL bad habits and best practices, as well as coverage of updates and new features in Plan Explorer, SentryOne, and SQL Server.