SQL Assessment API is a new mechanism to evaluate configuration of your SQL Server for best practices. The API methods are used by means of a SQL Server Management Object (SMO) extension and new cmdlets in SqlServer PowerShell module. API is delivered with a ruleset that is highly customizable and extensible. It can be used to assess SQL Server versions 2012 and higher, both on Windows and Linux.
It is available in public preview. Docs online page has the instructions on how to install (depending on how you want to use it, you need to either install SMO and/or SqlServer PowerShell module and you are good to go) as well as a get started section with sample scripts.
SQL Assessment API is useful when you want to make sure your SQL Server configuration is in line with recommended best practices. After an initial assessment, configuration stability can be tracked by regularly scheduled assessments.
Rules, sometimes referred to as checks, are defined in JSON formatted files. Microsoft's shipped ruleset is available in our GitHub repository. You will find examples of how to customize existing rules and how to write new ones in the same location. We will be growing the repo with new rules and examples going forward.
We would love to hear your feedback. Please feel free to comment here or even better, on SQL Assessment API GitHub page where we have the rules and sample scripts available.
