Microsoft has released a new standalone version of SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). As with previous versions of SSMS, you still get it bundled with your SQL Server install, but with this new release we now also have the option of downloading SSMS separately via its own lightweight installer.
One of the great new features of this version of SSMS and the version that comes bundled with SQL Server 2016 (which I am assuming are the same SSMS 2016 product) is that it now has a built in check for updates. While the updates do not install automatically, having the ability to update SSMS without having to download a SQL Server service pack or cumulative update is going to be nice!
You can download the standalone SSMS from Microsoft here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt238290.aspx
This is part of a series of Getting Started posts that I’m doing in which I spotlight the tools I use in my day to day duties as a DBA. I asked myself “What tools would I immediately install if I started a new job as a company’s first DBA?” This series of posts are the answer to that question.