SQL Server 2000 will be soon reaching its five-year mark, which in terms of
software life-cycle translates into fairly advanced maturity. While this is
still far from retirement age, the name of its successor, SQL Server 2005,
suggests that it might be time for you to start looking into what the new
generation has to offer. The release of SQL Server 2005, originally introduced
as Yukon, has already been postponed, but its current Beta 2 implementation
(with several incremental Community Technical Previews expected before Beta 3
becomes available early next year) brings promise of a timely RTM stage
(planned for summer next year). In this series of articles, we will look into
functional highlights of the new incarnation of the Microsoft database
management system, focusing on those that are likely to remain unchanged in the
final product.
Improvements to the database engine, the details of which are not published
by Microsoft, and the corresponding changes to the main infrastructure
components are reflected by a substantial number of new features as well as
enhancements to existing ones. The most relevant ones can be grouped into
several categories, such as high availability and scalability, security, data
management, administration and maintenance, and development.
The demand for high availability is becoming increasingly common and is no
longer limited to major corporate and governmental clients. This results not
only from a growing level of customer expectations, but also from the new
political climate associated with more stringent legislative and regulatory
requirements, in which disaster recovery and business continuity are more
relevant then ever. However, businesses are also, at the same time, extremely interested
in keeping their costs to a minimum. Microsoft tries to address these
expectations by implementing scalability enhancements, which ensure that SQL
Server can perform equally well in environments of any size, and by the introduction
of several versions of SQL Server 2005 (geared towards more specialized needs)
such as:
-
SQL Server Standard Edition – offering the most diverse set of
features and intended for the majority of clients. -
SQL Server 2005 Express Edition – serving as the replacement for
Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE) and available for download from the
Microsoft Dowload Center. Like its predecessor, it was designed with
developers in mind, however, unlike the previous version, it also includes a
Web based management interface. -
SQL Server 2005 Mobile Edition – as a successor to SQL Server
2000 Windows CE Edition, it is intended for Windows mobile-based devices, such
as Tablet PCs, Pocket PCs, and Smartphones
