So long AdventureWorks, we’ll miss you!
It’s the end of an era for the SQL Server sample database AdventureWorks as development has been suspended for the popular sample database following the release of SQL Server 2016. Many of us have used this sample database to learn constructs and features of the product since its introduction in SQL Server 2005, but it is time to move on.
And hello World Wide Importers!
With the release of SQL Server 2016, Microsoft has released an enhanced and improved sample database targeting SQL Server 2016 and Azure Database called World Wide Importers.
https://github.com/Microsoft/sql-server-samples/releases/tag/wide-world-importers-v1.0
Can I still use AdventureWorks with SQL Server 2016?
Yes, the final AdventureWorks build will be updated on the official download site here and you can still use AdventureWorks with your SQL Server 2016 instance.
What about future development with Microsoft sample databases?
If you already have samples using AdventureWorks, there is no need to update them to use World Wide Importers. However, any future development on Microsoft sample databases should use World Wide Importers instead of AdventureWorks since it will not be updated or maintained after 2016.
Thanks,
Sam Lester (MSFT)