SQL Server Magazine UPDATE, March 3, 2005--SQL Server 2005 Editions

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March 3, 2005

1. Perspectives

2. News and Views

3. Events and Resources

4. Peer to Peer

5. Announcements

6. New and Improved

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1. Perspectives

    by Brian Moran, [email protected]

Last week, Microsoft announced the new SQL Server Workgroup Edition and the planned pricing model for SQL Server 2005. The price changes won't affect SQL Server 2000, though the new SQL Server 2000 Workgroup Edition will be released sometime during the first half of this year. Microsoft describes SQL Server 2005's four editions like this:

The 2005 Enterprise Edition will cost $24,999 per processor, which is up from SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition's $19,999 price. Standard Edition will cost $5,999 per processor, up from $4,999. Both the 2000 and 2005 versions of the new Workgroup Edition will cost $3,899. The Express Edition, which replaces Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Engine (MSDE), is free.

SQL Server 2005 will support three licensing models. The processor license model requires a separate license for each processor in a server running SQL Server. The server plus device Client Access Licenses (CALs) model requires a separate license for each server running SQL Server, plus a CAL for each client device. The server plus user CALs model requires a separate license for each server running SQL Server, plus a CAL for each user accessing the server.

So what features will you get for your money? Features lists are subject to change until the product ships, but here's where we stand now. Enterprise Edition has SQL Server with all the bells and whistles. You won't pay any add-on charges for advanced features offered in the product line. Standard Edition includes most of the Enterprise Edition features, but you'll be limited to four processors. One nice benefit is that SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition will support 64-bit processors, which SQL Server 2000 Standard Edition didn't support until Service Pack 4 (SP4). I haven't seen a full checklist of features for the SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition, but you can find a comparative list of the feature differences for all SQL Server 2000 editions at http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=4238:7B3DB. I do know that SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition won't include SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services or Analysis Services. SQL Server 2000 Workgroup Edition doesn't include Data Transformation Services (DTS), so I assume that SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition won't include SQL Server 2005 Integration Services (SSIS).

Many customers will complain about the price increase; however, an initial review shows that SQL Server price points are still below all the major competitors and I think the new price model is reasonable. Microsoft still hasn't addressed the fact that many SQL Server 2000 customers paid for Software Assurance, which guaranteed them the right to upgrade for free to a new version of SQL Server within four years. Because it has taken five years for Microsoft to release a new version, many customers who bought SQL Server 2000 Software Assurance will receive no upgrade for the price premium. If I were one of those customers, I might be angry about a price increase moving to SQL Server 2005. Legally, Microsoft owes these customers nothing because there was no binding promise that a new version would be released within the four-year period. However, I believe that Microsoft has a moral obligation to support customers who bought SQL Server 2000 with Software Assurance. SQL Server 2005 is literally years later than initial guesses. Every sane person inside and outside of Microsoft genuinely believed that Software Assurance would have provided SQL Server 2000 customers with at least one upgrade. Major delays in the SQL Server 2005 development cycle prevented this. Microsoft might not have a legal obligation to honor customers who bought SQL Server 2000 Software Assurance but they should be ashamed of themselves if they don't. Chances are that Microsoft will continue to ignore this problem unless customers make their displeasure known. If you bought SQL Server 2000 with Software Assurance and expected an upgrade, I encourage you to express your displeasure loud and clear to your local Microsoft representatives.

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2. News & Views

"What open-source or free database products do you use?" Here are the results from the 159 votes (deviations from 100 are due to a rounding error):

"Are you considering licensing the new SQL Server Workgroup Edition?" Go to the SQL Server Magazine home page and submit your vote for

3. Events and Resources

Get the facts about migrating to SQL Server 2005. SQL Server experts will present real-world information about administration, development, and business intelligence to help you implement a best-practices migration to SQL Server 2005 and improve your database computing environment. Receive a 1-year membership to PASS and 1-year subscription to SQL Server Magazine. Register now!
    http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=4235:7B3DB

Sign up now for this free, 1-hour Web seminar and get a quick start in mapping Oracle database-management skills, knowledge, and experience to SQL Server database management. Learn about the similarities and differences between Oracle and SQL Server and get a preview of real-world tips and techniques for managing these associated technologies. Register now!
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See the complete Windows IT Pro Network guide to Web and live events.
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4. Peer to Peer

by Microsoft's SQL Server Development Team, [email protected]

Q. I have a stored procedure that executes one of two queries based on a value passed into it. Will I get better performance if I break the procedure into separate procedures? As I understand it, SQL Server determines a query execution plan based on the values specified the first time the query is run, so splitting up the stored procedure might help performance. But I'm not sure whether this behavior pertains to IF statements.

Read the answer today at
    http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=4234:7B3DB

The stronger your passwords, the more secure your system is. In the SQL Server space, many exploits take advantage of weak or nonexistent sa passwords—which is why Microsoft made the default installation of SQL Server 2005 supply an sa password by default. However, for end users, strong passwords are a two-edged sword. Although strong passwords make for better security, the stronger the password, the more difficult it is to remember. In user workspaces, you inevitably see sticky notes full of impressive-looking, difficult-to-remember passwords—attached to the edge of monitors. In his March editorial, "Those &@#$%^ Passwords!" Michael Otey urges you to begin considering pass phrases as an alternative to passwords. Read this article today at
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=4233:7B3DB

In this week's blog, "Tips for a Great Presentation," Kevin Kline points readers to a blog written by Microsoft's honorary Regional Director of Chennai, Venkatarangan. Kevin thinks the presentation tips contain many gems and should be required reading for anyone who has to stand up in front of a crowd for a technical presentation. See which tips Kevin thinks are most useful, read Venkatarangan's tips for yourself, and let Kevin know what you think today at
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=4236:7B3DB

Hot Threads: Check out the following hot threads, and see other discussions in our 30 SQL Server forums.
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=423B:7B3DB

Administration: Using Email Notification with Servers in Workgroups
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=4230:7B3DB
T-SQL: Stored Procedure Performance Varies
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=4231:7B3DB
Performance: Best SELECT JOIN Syntax
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=422F:7B3DB
Development: Passing Values to Stored Procedure Using ASP Parameters
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=4232:7B3DB
Reporting Services: Need Configuration Help
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=422D:7B3DB
Security: Sarbanes-Oxley Security Compliance
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=422E:7B3DB

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5. Announcements

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6. New & Improved

    by Dawn Cyr, [email protected]

Have you used a product that saved you time or made your job easier? Tell us your product-success story, and if we print your submission in the Hands On department, we'll send you a SQL Server Magazine t-shirt. Send your product suggestion with information about how the product helped you to [email protected].

Red Gate Software announced SQL Backup 3.0, software that provides compressed, encrypted backups for SQL Server 2000 databases. The product offers three levels of compression that let you choose whether to optimize your backup for speed or size. A user-friendly GUI lets you use wizards to walk through the backup and restore processes. A command-line interface lets power users set up maintenance plans by using syntax similar to T-SQL BACKUP and RESTORE commands. And an extended stored procedure interface lets you run SQL Backup remotely from your favorite database-connectivity tool. Other features in this release include 128-bit Rijndael encryption, the ability to create split or mirrored backups, MD5# tamper detection, and a simple log-shipping functionality that requires low setup overhead. Pricing for SQL Backup 3.0 starts at $295, and a free, fully functional 14-day trial version is available for download on Red Gate's Web site. For more information, contact Red Gate Software at 866-733-4283, 44-870-160-0037, or [email protected].
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=4245:7B3DB

EMC announced EMC Legato NetWorker 7.2, a fast, flexible backup-and-recovery solution for critical enterprise applications. New in the latest release is EMC Legato NetWorker Module for Microsoft SQL Server, which lets SQL Server DBAs centrally define and manage backup schedules. Features of the SQL Server module include full integration with the SQL Server API, which enables automated online backups; integration with Legato NetWorker PowerSnap for efficient snapshot management; granular recovery; automated tape cloning for offsite data storage; and a wizard interface for easy implementation. Other improvements in EMC Legato Networker 7.2 include configuration wizards, easy browsing capabilities, usability improvements, and NDMP indexing. For pricing and other information, contact EMC at 888-853-4286 or 650-210-7000.
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=4244:7B3DB

Silco-Magnetic Intelligence announced "Practical Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Administration," a full-motion video and audio CD-ROM training course that presents DBAs with techniques for configuring, administering, and programming SQL Server 2005. The course covers SQL Server 2005's advanced features, including use of Management Studio, recursive queries, integrated projects, and database mirroring. Each CD-ROM contains short (10- to 20-minute) units that students can replay as many times as needed, and each unit includes features that let students practice as they learn. The 21-CD-ROM course costs $995. More information and a free test drive are available at the distributor's Web site or contact [email protected].
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=423F:7B3DB

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