Hold your horses, which SNAC do you need?

Over on SQL Server Release Services, they’ve released details on the various SQL Server Native Client (SNAC) downloads currently available.
 
Talk about complexity; but hopefully it will help when you are next in need of a SNAC.
 
On a side note ‘Microsoft has announced the deprecation of the SQL Server Native Client OLE DB provider, and that SQL Server 2012 is the last version of SQL Server to support the provider’ .
 
Therefore you should be looking towards use of ODBC moving forward.

SQL Server 2012 Mainstream Support Ending reminder

Time sure does fly and just a reminder Mainstream Support for SQL Server 2012 ends in just over 3 months on 11th July 2017.
 
Ideally any new SQL Server installs should be the newest, or as close to the newest version of SQL Server as possible, to get the maximum RoE.
 
With SQL Server 2016 SP1, a lot of Enterprise features are now included in the other editions, so is a great option. Something to be aware of though is that Microsoft is now requiring Software Assurance to be acquired for use of a DR instance. The use of one DR instance was usually included by default in earlier versions.

SQL Server Product Key

Have you installed SQL Server and wondered how the product key appears to magically populate without you doing anything e.g.
 
image1
 
This info is obtained from the DefaultSetup.ini file on the installation media and the product key doesn’t auto populate if the file doesn’t exist.
 
image2