New SQL Server 2005 Features Announced November 7

Microsoft announced two new SQL Server 2005 features in conjunction with the November 7, 2005 San Francisco SQL Server 2005/Visual Studio 2005/BizTalk Server 2006 release event: Scalable Shared Databases for SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition According to Knowledge Base article 910378:

The scalable shared database feature allows you to attach a read-only reporting database to multiple server instances over a storage area network (SAN). A reporting database is a read-only database that is built from one or more production databases that are used exclusively for reporting purposes. To be made into a scalable shared database, a reporting database must reside on one or more dedicated, read-only volumes whose primary purpose is to host the reporting database or a coordinated set of reporting databases. These volumes are known as reporting volumes.

SQL Server Management Studio Express (SSMSE) for SQL Server 2005 Express SSMSE is the November Community Technical Preview (CTP) for the promised SQL Server Express Manager replacement. According to the SSMSE Overview:

Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express (SSMSE) provides a graphical management tool for SQL Server 2005 Express Edition (SQL Server Express) instances. SSMSE can also manage relational engine Instances created by any edition of SQL Server 2005. SSMSE cannot manage Analysis Services, Integration Services, SQL Server 2005 Mobile Edition, Notification Services, Reporting Services, or SQL Server Agent.

Here's a capture of SSMSE after executing the Instnwnd.sql script to create the Northwind sample database from SQL Server 2000.

You can't run the SSMSE setup program if you've installed the full version of SSMS; the two products won't run side by side. Click here to view the SSMSE readme.

--rj

Technorati: Databases SQL Server 2005 SQL Server 2005 Express

P.S. Steve Ballmer announced at the San Francisco release event that Visual Studio 2005 Express editions would be available for free download from the Microsoft Web site until November 7, 2006. More details, including download links and rewards for registering the downloads, are available on Dan Fernandez' blog.