SQL Server 2005 SP2 Released to Web

Microsoft announced on February 19, 2007 the availability of the Release-to-Web (RTW) versions of SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 for Enterprise, Standard, Workgroup, Developer, and Express editions. The What's New in Microsoft SQL Server 2005 SP2 page offers a detailed list of additions and improvements to the Database Engine, Analysis Services, Integration Services, Replication, Reporting Services, and shared tools. Links to SP2 upgrades for all SQL Server 2005 editions and replacements for earlier versions of SQL Server Express (SSX) with Advanced Services, (SSXAS), SQL Server Management Studio Express (SSMSX), and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition Toolkit (SSXTK) are on the SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 page. There's also a link on the page to download the updated SQL Server Books Online SP2 version. Note: As of 11:00 am PST on 2/19/2007, the download links on the SSX Download Now! page that's linked from the above SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 page all refer to SP1. As of about 9:50 a.m. PST on 2/20/2007, the SP1 references changed to SP2. If you want to ensure that you're downloading the SP2 RTW build 9.00.3042.00 go to:

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition Service Pack 2 (SSX SP2, file date 2/18/2007, 55.4 MB for 32/64-bit version or 36.5 MB for 32-bit only version)
• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition with Advanced Services Service Pack 2 (SSXAS SP2, file date 2/18/2007, 256.8 MB)

SSXAS SP2 adds full-text search, merge replication subscription and Reporting Services functions to bare-bones SSX, and includes SSMSX-SP2. Note: SSMSE is supported on x64 and EMT64 systems in Windows On Windows (WOW). SSMSE is not supported on IA64 systems. To determine the build before and after updating SQL server, execute SELECT @@version or SELECT serverproperty('ProductVersion'). Service Pack 2 Vista Support

The primary improvements to SSX are support for operation with normal user credentials under Windows Vista's User Access Control, SSMSX compatibility with Vista, and improvements to backup, restore, and Reporting Services.

Following is the Configuration Options dialog that enables normal Windows users to run SSX instances (enabled by default) and optionally adds the installing Vista user as a member of the instance's SysAdmin (sa) role that's not enabled by default:

SSMSX has been enhanced with support for SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition (SSCE) databases, Vista compatibility, and new options for generating scripts.

Tip for SSX SP2 CTP and SSXAS SP2 CTP Only: If you've installed the SSX SP2 Community Technical Preview (CTP), upgrading SSX to SP2 RTW version will be blocked. In this case, you must stop and remove the SSX SP2 CTP instance and, if you installed SQL Server Reporting Services, remove the ReportServer$...mdf and ...ldf files from or rename the \Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data folder. Don't forget to run the SQL Server Surface Area Configuration tool and SQL Server Configuration Manager to reconfigure the default instance to that of the instance it replaced. (You can upgrade SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition or higher CTP and SSMSX SP2 CTP with no problem.)

SQL Server 2005 User Provisioning Tool for Vista

It's unlikely that many fully-licensed SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition or higher instances will run under Windows Vista, but you have the option of launching the SQL Server 2005 User Provisioning Tool for Vista after SQL Server installation completes:

If you mark the Launch check box, clicking Finish displays the following SQL Server 2005 User Provisioning Tool, which lets you assign a normal user to the SysAdmin role of each instance on the server:

Updating the SQL Server Client Tools doesn't install the February 2007 downloadable update to SQL Server Books On Line. (Only the English edition has been updated.)

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