SQL Server Editions
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After you have determined what your system is used for, you can begin to select the SQL Server edition and configuration to meet those needs. Several releases of the SQL Server software, called editions, are available to meet different needs. Each edition has different features and costs. Some run on all current Microsoft operating systems; others require a particular platform. Microsoft may make changes to some editions with service packs. These changes may add functionality from the higher versions to a lower one. Make sure you check the release notes for the service packs before you make your final edition choice. In addition to the production editions of SQL Server 2005, there is a Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Edition (also called the Developer Edition), which has the same features as the highest version of SQL Server. The difference in the MSDN Edition of SQL Server 2005 is the licensing. The Developer Edition is not licensed for production systems. I do not cover the laundry list of features in SQL Server 2005 here because doing so would take away from the bigger picture of this overview. Instead, I cover the feature sets as I explain the various technologies in the products required to implement solutions throughout this book. MobileSQL Server 2005 Mobile Edition is used on PocketPC and Smart Phones. You can write applications that use this back end directly, but the more common use is to participate in a replication scheme with a server. Replication schemes allow consultants, salespeople, doctors, and so forth to use applications that store a small slice of data and manipulate it in the field. It is limited due to the small form factor it lives on but does include much of the standard language SQL Server uses, called Transact SQL (T-SQL). To run the Mobile Edition, your machine must meet at least these specifications:
ExpressThe Express Edition represents Microsoft's answer to free database offerings such as MySQL and replaces a previous version called MSDE. Microsoft made this edition much more capable than the older version, increasing the size of available databases and usable RAM. It can participate in replication, serve as a witness machine in clustering (more on that later), contains the Common Language Runtime (CLR) enhancement, integrates with Visual Studio, and has the same database engine that the other editions have. As far as what this edition is capable of, it is easier to talk about what it cannot do. Its main limitations are that it can use only 1GB of RAM and 4GB of disk space (per database) and that it runs on one 32-bit CPU (or in Windows on Windows [WOW] mode on x64 processors). To run the Express Edition, your machine must meet at least these specifications:
You can run the Express Edition on the following operating systems (and higher):
WorkgroupThe Workgroup Edition is the next step up from the Express Edition. It has all the same features as Express and increases the available RAM to a maximum of 3GB, can run two CPUs, and has no database size limit. It also includes the full SQL Server Management Studio, the SQL Server Agent, and has Full-Text support. This edition also has all the security features and programmability found in the larger editions. In the integration and business intelligence arena, this edition lacks about half of the features of Standard or Enterprise, such as Oracle integration, HTTP endpoints, Analysis Services, and Data Warehousing. It is most useful for your local machine or for development tasks. It is also available for 32-bit architectures. To run the Workgroup Edition, your machine must meet at least these specifications:
You can run the Express Edition on the following operating systems (and higher):
StandardMost department-sized shops will run the Standard Edition of SQL Server 2005. It can run up to four CPUs, has no memory limitations other than those imposed by the operating system, and supports 64-bit architectures. It has a litany of features, including the following:
To run the Standard Edition, your machine must meet at least these specifications:
You can run the Standard Edition on the following operating systems (and higher):
EnterpriseThe Enterprise Edition adds high-end features such as Online Indexing, Online Page and File Restore, Fast Redo, Integration Services Advanced Transforms, Oracle Replication, Scale Out Report Servers, full Data Mining, and greater text-search capabilities. In short, if you get more than a thousand users or so, or if you have an especially heavy load, this is the edition you want to use. To run the Enterprise Edition, your machine must meet at least these specifications:
You can run the Enterprise Edition on the following operating systems (and higher):
Additional RequirementsIn addition to the SQL Server software, you must install a few other software components (on editions other than Mobile), such as the following:
You also need to meet certain service pack levels, depending on the operating system you are using. The installation program detects these requirements for you and prompts you to install them if you do not have them. You can install SQL Server 2005 with SQL Server 2000 if you want, or it will automatically upgrade version 2000 to 2005. I explain the upgrade process in Appendix A.  |
