Introduction to SQL ServerWe have been working with SQL Server since version 6.5 or so. Back then, we would never have suggested to a customer that they should use SQL Server in a business-critical application. SQL Server has fortunately grown since then, and with the 2000 edition, it has become one of our most commonly suggested applications to customers these days. We cannot wait for the next version to come out, as it looks very promising on paper.SQL Server still has a reputation to fight against, however. A lot of people think it cannot perform as well as many of its competitors. That is not true if it is configured correctly, and if it is deployed on a good platform.TIP For those interested in SQL Server performance, check out http://www.tpc.org to see the latest test results and database system configurations.SQL Server's ease of use has also been an issue over time. The general misconception has been that something that is easy to use with a graphical user interface is as worthless as a Steven Seagal movie. This in effect has led many companies to give someone like a department secretary the responsibility of setting up and managing a SQL Server, while the database administrator handles an Oracle database or the like. Now we do not intend any disrespect to the secretary, but this is not a good solution, since getting great performance out of SQL Server requires the skills of a trained and experienced database administrator. Many database administrators have not had an interest in working with SQL Server because it is so easy to use and not much configuration has to be done once it is set up. Setting up a new SQL Server takes a good deal of planning, however, and knowledge about how to do it the right way. Fortunately, much of this attitude has changed, and nowadays trained IT staff handle most SQL Servers in enterprises. Several versions of SQL Server are available. To help you choose the most suitable for your solution, we will present an overview of the different versions and their intended use in the following sections.SQL Server EditionsSQL Server, like Windows Server, comes in various editions to suit a large number of uses:
We will explore each edition and see what its intended use is. As you learn about each edition, you will soon see that now you actually do have a version for your department secretary, another for your developers, and others for your database administrators. Now you do not have to compromise-you can have the database you need for every occasion. Let us start with a look at the Enterprise Edition.SQL Server 2000 Enterprise EditionsSQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition is the top-of-the-line of SQL Server. It includes all features that SQL Server offers. The Enterprise Edition comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, so you can use it on most hardware available. This edition includes tools that let you not only store data, but also extract and analyze it. SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition is a suitable solution for large Web sites, Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) systems, and data warehouses. Good platforms for running the Enterprise Edition are Windows Server 2003 Datacenter and Windows 2000 Server Datacenter. You should definitely let an experienced database administrator handle this edition.SQL Server 2000 Standard EditionSQL Server 2000 Standard Edition includes the core functionality of SQL Server. It does not include all the advanced tools that the Enterprise Edition does, but it does have some great tools that let you analyze data, too. The Standard Edition is intended for small and medium-sized organizations. Recommended platforms include Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition and Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, and the equivalent Windows 2000 Server Editions. We still recommend an experienced database administrator for handling this edition, however.SQL Server 2000 Developer EditionBasically, SQL Server 2000 Developer Edition is the Enterprise Edition in disguise. It is intended for developers to use when new applications and solutions are developed. By offering all the features of SQL Server, a developer can use it to develop all kinds of applications. It also includes licenses and download rights for the CE Edition, just to make everything SQL Server has to offer available at a reasonable price.NOTE Microsoft has cut the price down to $49 at the time of this writing, so this edition is affordable. One of the major reasons for this price cut is the threat posed by free database tools like mySQL.SQL Server 2000 Personal EditionMost companies have mobile users, such as salespeople, who on their business trips need to have large sets of data available. SQL Server 2000 Personal Edition is the ideal choice to install on a laptop, for it lets users sync data with the company database when they are at the office.NOTE The Personal Edition is only available with the Enterprise and Standard Editions. It is not available separately.The Personal Edition can also be of use for the department secretary (you knew this was coming) when he or she requires an application that needs to store data on a local database. It does not offer the scalability and flexibility of the previously mentioned editions, but it is nevertheless a great tool in some cases.SQL Server 2000 Desktop EngineThe Desktop Engine is a redistributable version of the SQL Server Database Engine (MSDE). It is not available separately. On the Enterprise, Standard, and Developer Edition CD-ROMs it is included in the MSDE catalog in the root directory. Developers can include it with their applications when local data is needed and requiring a stand-alone database would be overkill.TIP Check http://www.microsoft.com/sql/ for more information about obtaining MSDE, and the licensing issues that may come with it. There you will find all the information you need about the various SQL Server editions.If you need to, you can use SQL Server Enterprise Manager to access the Desktop edition, and this way get a graphical user interface to it. Otherwise, this edition does not include any GUI.SQL Server 2000 Windows CE EditionSQL Server 2000 CE Edition is intended for use on PDAs and other Windows CE devices. It has a small footprint to enable it to run smoothly on these devices, but it still provides tools that let you store data on a Pocket PC, for instance. It also includes APIs so you can develop applications for your Windows CE devices that use a full-fledged SQL Server as a data store, instead of flat files or any other solution. Table 8-1 shows the system requirements of the various SQL Server Editions.Table 8-1. SQL Server 2000 Editions Overview