[v7.1.0-preview1] Release Notes and vBump (#4241)

* vbumpo

* 🤖 Release notes and updates to related agent stuff

Author: benrr101

.github/instructions/architecture.instructions.md

@@ -34,10 +34,11 @@ src/
 ## Unified Project Model
 
 ### Architecture Goal
-The driver is transitioning away from separate `netfx/` and `netcore/` project files toward a **single unified project** at `src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.csproj`. This project multi-targets all supported frameworks from one codebase:
+The driver is transitioning away from separate `netfx/` and `netcore/` project files toward a **single unified project** at `src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.csproj`. This project targets the modern .NET TFMs on every host and conditionally adds .NET Framework on Windows:
 
 ```xml
-<TargetFrameworks>net462;net8.0;net9.0</TargetFrameworks>
+<TargetFrameworks>net8.0;net9.0</TargetFrameworks>
+<TargetFrameworks Condition="'$(NormalizedTargetOs)' == 'windows_nt'">$(TargetFrameworks);net462</TargetFrameworks>
 ```
 
 **All new code MUST go into `src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/src/`**. Do NOT add files to the legacy `netcore/src/` or `netfx/src/` directories.
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ When writing code that differs by platform, use these preprocessor directives:
 | `#if _UNIX` | Code for Unix/Linux/macOS OS (any framework) |
 
 Guidelines:
-1. All code must compile for all target frameworks (`net462`, `net8.0`, `net9.0`)
+1. All code must compile for the TFMs supported by the current target OS: `net8.0`/`net9.0` everywhere, plus `net462` on Windows builds
 2. Use `#if NETFRAMEWORK` or `#if NET` for framework-specific code paths
 3. Use `#if _WINDOWS` or `#if _UNIX` for OS-specific code paths
 4. Avoid APIs that don't exist on a target platform without conditional compilation
@@ -104,11 +105,15 @@ The `ref/` directories define the public API surface:
 **IMPORTANT**: Any public API changes MUST update the corresponding reference assembly in the appropriate `ref/` directory.
 
 ### Build Output
-Build artifacts are organized by framework and OS:
+Build artifacts are organized by reference mode, configuration, OS, and framework:
 ```
-artifacts/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/{Configuration}/{TargetOs}/{TargetFramework}/
+artifacts/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/{ReferenceType}-{Configuration}/{NormalizedTargetOs}/{TargetFramework}/
 ```
 
+`ReferenceType` is a first-class build dimension in this branch. Local and CI builds may run in:
+- `Project` mode — sibling packages referenced as projects
+- `Package` mode — sibling packages restored from locally produced NuGet packages
+
 ## SNI (SQL Server Network Interface) Layer
 
 Two implementations exist:

.github/instructions/testing.instructions.md

@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ applyTo: "**/tests/**,**/*Test*.cs"
 src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/tests/
 ├── FunctionalTests/          # Tests without SQL Server dependency
 ├── ManualTests/              # Integration tests requiring SQL Server
+├── PerformanceTests/         # Benchmark-style perf validation
+├── StressTests/              # Long-running stress coverage
 ├── UnitTests/                # Unit tests with minimal dependencies
 └── tools/
     └── Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.TestUtilities/
@@ -109,11 +111,11 @@ public async Task OpenAsync_TimingDependent_MayFail() { ... }
 All test runs use `--blame-hang-timeout 10m` to kill tests that hang for more than 10 minutes. This is configured in `build.proj` and applied to all test targets. If a test is expected to run longer than 10 minutes, it must be restructured or split.
 
 ### Test Filter Configuration
-The default test filter is defined in `build.proj`:
+The default test filter is defined in `build.proj` via `TestFilters`:
 ```xml
-<FilterStatement Condition="'$(FilterStatement)' == ''">category!=failing&amp;category!=flaky</FilterStatement>
+<TestFilters Condition="'$(TestFilters)' == ''">category!=failing&amp;category!=flaky&amp;category!=interactive</TestFilters>
 ```
-This can be overridden via MSBuild property: `msbuild -p:FilterStatement="your_filter"`.
+This can be overridden via MSBuild property: `msbuild build.proj -t:TestSqlClientUnit -p:TestFilters="your_filter"`.
 
 ### Test Attributes
 ```csharp
@@ -140,16 +142,16 @@ public void TestIntermittentlyFails() { ... }
 ### Using MSBuild (Recommended)
 ```bash
 # Build and run all unit tests
-msbuild -t:RunUnitTests
+msbuild build.proj -t:TestSqlClientUnit
 
 # Run functional tests only
-msbuild -t:RunFunctionalTests
+msbuild build.proj -t:TestSqlClientFunctional
 
 # Run manual tests for specific framework
-msbuild -t:RunManualTests -p:TF=net8.0
+msbuild build.proj -t:TestSqlClientManual -p:TestFramework=net8.0
 
 # Run specific test set
-msbuild -t:RunManualTests -p:TestSet=1
+msbuild build.proj -t:TestSqlClientManual -p:TestSet=1
 ```
 
 ### Using dotnet CLI
@@ -159,7 +161,7 @@ dotnet test "src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/tests/UnitTests/Microsoft.Data.SqlClie
   -p:Configuration=Release
 
 # Functional tests with filter (excludes failing, flaky, and interactive tests)
-dotnet test "src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/tests/FunctionalTests/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.Tests.csproj" \
+dotnet test "src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/tests/FunctionalTests/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.FunctionalTests.csproj" \
   --filter "category!=failing&category!=flaky&category!=interactive"
 
 # Run ONLY quarantined flaky tests (for investigation)
@@ -323,7 +325,7 @@ AssertExtensions.ThrowsContains<SqlException>(() => action(), "expected message"
 
 ### Running with Coverage
 ```bash
-msbuild -t:RunTests -p:CollectCoverage=true
+msbuild build.proj -t:TestSqlClientUnit -p:TestCodeCoverage=true
 ```
 
 ### Coverage Targets

.github/skills/generate-mstest-filter/SKILL.md

@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ dotnet test <project.csproj> --list-tests --filter "<your-filter>" --framework <
 
 ```bash
 # Generate filter for "ChannelDbConnectionPoolTest" class
-dotnet test tests/UnitTests/UnitTests.csproj --list-tests --filter "FullyQualifiedName~ChannelDbConnectionPoolTest" --framework net9.0
+dotnet test src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/tests/UnitTests/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.UnitTests.csproj --list-tests --filter "FullyQualifiedName~ChannelDbConnectionPoolTest" --framework net9.0
 
 # Expected output shows matching tests:
 # The following Tests are available:

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,65 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
 
 > **Note:** Releases are sorted in reverse chronological order (newest first).
 
+## [Preview Release 7.1.0-preview1] - 2026-04-29
+
+This update brings the following changes since the [7.0.0](release-notes/7.0/7.0.0.md) release.
+See the [full release notes](release-notes/7.1/7.1.0-preview1.md) for detailed descriptions.
+
+### Added
+
+- Added `SqlBatch` support on .NET Framework so the batching API is available across the full supported platform matrix.
+  ([#3926](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/3926))
+
+- Added additional accepted connection-string synonyms for cross-driver alignment, including `ColumnEncryption`, `ConnectTimeout`, `FailoverPartner`, `PacketSize`, and `WorkstationId`.
+  ([#4192](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4192))
+
+### Changed
+
+- `SqlConnection.ClearPool` and `SqlConnection.ClearAllPools` now work correctly with the channel-based pool implementation.
+  ([#4194](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4194))
+
+- Added type forwards for public authentication abstractions moved into `Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.Extensions.Abstractions`.
+  ([#4067](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4067),
+   [#4117](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4117))
+
+- Enabled the User Agent feature extension by default.
+  ([#4124](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4124),
+   [#4154](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4154))
+
+- Reduced allocations when sending large string values, plus related source-build and packaging consolidation updates.
+  ([#4072](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4072),
+   [#4033](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4033),
+   [#4068](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4068),
+   [#4204](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4204))
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Fixed `SqlBulkCopy` on SQL Server 2016 graph tables by extracting graph metadata with dynamic SQL.
+  ([#3714](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/issues/3714),
+   [#4092](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4092),
+   [#4147](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4147))
+
+- Fixed `SqlBulkCopy` support for Azure Synapse Analytics dedicated SQL pools.
+  ([#4149](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/issues/4149),
+   [#4176](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4176),
+   [#4182](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4182))
+
+- Fixed vector float32 metadata so `GetFieldType()` and `GetProviderSpecificFieldType()` return the expected vector type.
+  ([#4104](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/issues/4104),
+   [#4105](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4105),
+   [#4152](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4152))
+
+- Added the missing `System.Data.Common` dependency for .NET Framework consumers.
+  ([#4063](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4063),
+   [#4074](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4074))
+
+- Fixed a `SqlDataReader` streaming bug triggered by calling `IsDBNull()` before reading streamed column data.
+  ([#4082](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4082))
+
+- Fixed a `NullReferenceException` in `SqlDataReader`.
+  ([#4159](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4159))
+
 ## [Stable Release 7.0.1] - 2026-04-23
 
 This update brings the following changes since the [7.0.0](release-notes/7.0/7.0.0.md) release.
@@ -480,7 +539,7 @@ This update brings the following changes over the previous preview release:
 
 *What Changed:*
 
-- Updated pipelines and test suites to compile the driver using the .NET 10 SDK. Cleaned up unnecessary dependency references. 
+- Updated pipelines and test suites to compile the driver using the .NET 10 SDK. Cleaned up unnecessary dependency references.
   ([#3686](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/3686))
 
 *Who Benefits:*
@@ -687,7 +746,7 @@ This update brings the following changes since [7.0.0-preview1.25257.1]
 
 #### Other changes
 
-- Improve performance in `SqlStatistics` by using `Environment.TickCount` for calculating execution timing 
+- Improve performance in `SqlStatistics` by using `Environment.TickCount` for calculating execution timing
   ([#3609](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/3609))
 
 - Improve performance in Always Encrypted scenarios by using lower-allocation primitives
@@ -1359,7 +1418,7 @@ This update brings the below changes over the previous release:
 - Added support for Georgian collation [#2194](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/2194)
 - Added Localization support on .NET [#2210](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/2110)
 - Added .NET 8 support [#2230](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/2230)
-- Added explicit version for major .NET version dependencies on System.Runtime.Caching 8.0.0, System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager 8.0.0, and System.Diagnostics. 
+- Added explicit version for major .NET version dependencies on System.Runtime.Caching 8.0.0, System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager 8.0.0, and System.Diagnostics.
 - DiagnosticSource 8.0.0 [#2303](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/2303)
 
 ### Fixed
@@ -1597,7 +1656,7 @@ This update brings the below changes over the previous release:
 
 - Moved to new System.Data.SqlTypes APIs in **.NET 7** and upper. [1934](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/1934) and [#1981](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/1981)
 - Changed **[UseOneSecFloorInTimeoutCalculationDuringLogin](https://learn.microsoft.com/sql/connect/ado-net/appcontext-switches#enable-a-minimum-timeout-during-login)** App Context switch default to **true** and extended its effect to .NET and .NET Standard. [#2012](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/2012)
-- Updated `Microsoft.Identity.Client` version from 4.47.2 to 4.53.0. [#2031](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/2031), [#2055](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/2055) 
+- Updated `Microsoft.Identity.Client` version from 4.47.2 to 4.53.0. [#2031](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/2031), [#2055](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/2055)
 - Code health improvement: [#1985](https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/1985)
 
 ## [Stable Release 2.1.6] - 2023-04-27

eng/pipelines/libraries/ci-build-variables.yml

@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ variables:
   #    package version and build an assembly version from it. If the build number is included
   #    before the "-" the build number will be appended again, generating an invalid file version.
   - name: mdsPackageVersion
-    value: 7.0.0-ci$(AssemblyBuildNumber)
+    value: 7.1.0-preview1ci$(AssemblyBuildNumber)
 
   # SqlServer library NuGet package version
   # NOTE: SqlServer's version props derive file version from the package version by appending the

eng/pipelines/onebranch/variables/package-variables.yml

@@ -113,13 +113,13 @@ variables:
     value: 'drop_build_dependent_build_package_SqlClient'
 
   - name: sqlClientFileVersion
-    value: '7.0.0.$(_assemblyBuildNumber)'
+    value: '7.1.0.$(_assemblyBuildNumber)'
 
   - name: sqlClientPackageVersion
     ${{ if parameters.isPreview }}:
-      value: '7.0.0-preview4.$(Build.BuildNumber)'
+      value: '7.1.0-preview1.$(Build.BuildNumber)'
     ${{ else }}:
-      value: '7.0.0'
+      value: '7.1.0'
 
   # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
   # SqlServer Package