Notes from the TechNet Briefing in Indianapolis, Indiana

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Indianapolis!

Here are the questions (with answers) I jotted down at our TechNet Briefing in Indianpolis.

Also, for your convenience, here is the link to my blog post containing the link to that resource document I handed out.

Q: Will there be or is there currently a 64–bit version of Small Business Server 2003?

A: Here’s the answer that comes straight out of the SBS 2003 FAQ page

“Windows Small Business Server 2003 and Windows Small Business Server 2003 with SP1 run well on 64-bit capable CPUs today. Customers today will see performance benefits running 32-bit Windows Small Business Server 2003 on 64-bit chips. To build a 64-bit version of Small Business Server, we need all the Small Business Server components, such as Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server, to be 64-bit. Once these products reach 64-bit capability, we will evaluate a version of 64-bit Small Business Server based on customer need.”

 

Q: Does or can the new SQL Management Studio use Visual Source Safe?

A:  Yes!  MSDN Presenter and Developer Evangelist Jacob Cynamon gave me this snapshot that shows what you will see when it’s available from within the SQL Management Studio.

SourceSafe<— Click to see full image.

 

Q: You showed how I can run SQLCMD from within a Query Editor window as well as the command line. Can I also launch it from within a stored procedure?

A: If there is a way to make a T-SQL stored procedure execute in “SQLCMD” mode, then yes, I’m betting that you can.  I’ve emailed this question to some folks who will know for sure, and I’ll update this answer as I get a better one.  (Or if you know, feel free to add a comment below.)

 

Q: With Database Mail – Does the SMTP and POP3 support have to be installed on the Database Mail Server?  

A:   No. During the configuration of the Database Mail, you first configure accounts, and then add those accounts to profiles.  Accounts simply refer to an email name and address and a server to send to.  It doesn’t have to be the local machine (in fact, most likely it won’t be). My example used a POP3 mailbox on my local server, but it could just as easily have been an Exchange mailbox.  Here’s what the Account setup looks like:

DBMailAccount<— Click to see full image.

Then you can add your configured accounts into a profile.  Here’s what that page looks like:

DBMailProfile<— Click to see full image.

 

Q: Is there a way to diagram the database tables as there is in SQL 2000?

A: Yes.  In the beta I was using for the demos, that function wasn’t there.  In the latest CTP (Community Technology Preview) build, database diagrams can be built in the Database Diagrams container under the database you’re working on in the Object Explorer.

DBDiagrams <— Click to see full image.

 

Q: Is MAPI support gone, or will my SQL Mail configurations still work after an upgrade to SQL 2005?

A: SQL Mail is still supported for backward compatibility, and managed under the Management container in the Object Explorer. NOTE: there is a hint in the current documentation that suggests that it will be removed in future versions of SQL Server.

 

Q: Is there a web interface for SQL Server management?

A: No, not for SQL administration.  There is for SQL Reporting Services, however.

 

Q: Are there any improvements on how SQL Server works in a clustered configuration?

A: Yes!  Much of the improvement comes from improved clustering in the foundation of Windows Server 2003.  SQL Server 2005 can now be implemented on clusters of up to eight nodes on Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition, four-node clustering on Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, and a max of 2–node clustering on Windows 2000 Advanced Server.

SQL Server 2005 specific improvements include support for an unattended cluster setup.  Also – all of the different services within SQL 2005 are cluster-aware, including:

  • The Database Engine
  • Analysis Services
  • Reporting Services
  • Notification Services
  • SQL Server Agent
  • Full-Text Search
  • Service Broker
  • Database Mail

Also, all of the major management tools (Management Studio, Profiler, etc) are also cluster aware.

If you have a followup question or comment, feel free to enter it by clicking the comment link below.