Database Solutions - Microsoft SQL Server 2008
Intersoft Development is a Cleveland Database Developer, Consulting, and Software Development
company offering specialists in Microsoft SQL-Server!
If you currently use SQL-Server for your business applications, are you sure you are realizing its full potential?
Chances are, we can help you optimize your SQL Server implementation and deliver increased performance to your database applications. Whether you use SQL Server 2000 or 2005 or 2008, we guarantee that if you allow us to work closely with you and your databases, our database developers can improve your existing application performance (stored-procedures, functions, and overall execution/response times). In many cases, we can improve database performance by an order of magnitude.
Even though SQL-Server 2005 was another fantastic release in the SQL-Server RDBMS series, we here at Intersoft Development were looking forward to some of the new features slated for SQL-Server 2008 for quite some time; like: native data-compression for backup files, native data encryption improvements (like indexable encrypted fields!), and more. But, as is common with some Microsoft products that come in multiple "versions" or "levels", certain enticing new features (like the compressed-backups) are only enabled with certain "versions" of the product — e.g., in the Enterprise or Data Center version only. So, before you get TOO excited about a new SQL2008 feature, make sure that whatever new SQL-2008 feature you want to use is actually included in the version of the product you plan to purchase or develop for and/or deploy databases too.
SQL Server 2000 and 2005 are quite powerful, and now SQL Server 2008 extends the power of SQL Server 2005 by offering more functionality than ever, including (available in all or some versions of the product):
- native data-compression and/or compressed backups (very useful!)
- indexable encrypted columns (a long awaited feature from our perspective!)
- LINQ integration
- log-stream compression (nice for when you are using log-shipping for mirroring between various participants)
- Star-Join query optimizations and other data-warehouse related optimizations
- Office2007 Integration... now you can export directly to Word. This promises to make giving ad-hoc query results to end-users and managers a bit easier in that they can be in a form those persons are more comfortable with (rather than a CSV or text-file dump, etc.).
- A resource governor.
- FILESTREAM storage. In today's day of all sorts of binary data (like music files, be it MP3 or OGG or WAV or whatever, and video files like MPEG-4, etc.) there needs to be an easy way to make these accessible from database applications. Well, FileStream Storage is the answer, as it enables SQL Server applications to store unstructured data, such as documents and images, on the file system. This will most definitely be a useful feature in our multimedia world.
- Sparse Columns and Column Sets : these are columns that are optimized for storing null values when you have at least 20-40% of the values in a column as NULL. There are definite advantages with this new null-handling capability, if used correctly.
- Spatial Data handling. Basically this is geometry and geography type data handling related. We will be researching this more, as it may be of use if you are dealing with map data, etc.
- Wide Tables — how about 30,000 columns in your table? That is now possible, along with up to 1000 indexes. That should take care of most any "need" imaginable. We do have concerns that this "feature" may lead to the untrained SQL-Server DBA or developer "designing" an insanely poor SQL-Server database by creating a one-giant-file (versus making it relationally correct or normalized) just because they can easily do so. Please, consult us prior to implementing any database table that even starts to approach this new limit..
- Full-Text Search catalogs are integrated into the DB (meaning, you can move your database and have the catalogs automatically come along for the ride -- this sure beats the old SQL2005 implementation).
Transact-SQL (T-SQL) improvements / enhancements:
- COMPOUND OPERATORS - WOOHOO! (yes, our developers are excited by this!) Being able to type @myIntVar += 5 sure beats the current need to type SET @myIntVar = @myIntVar + 5 just because the TIME SAVINGS TYPING LESS CODE!
- Row Constructors : SQL-Server 2008 now allows you to insert multiple values with a single INSERT statement. Again, it is about time, as this will save a LOT of typing (and time) when writing stored procedures and queries).
- Better Date AND Time data types support — not just "DateTime" any more.
- Grouping-Sets : an extension to the GROUP BY clause which has interesting potential... we are already dreaming up ways to use it, since it allows multiple groupings in the same query.
- the new MERGE SQL-statement. Call it a "smart" combo insert/update command of sorts. Should simplify piles of code that exist out there from earlier versions! (note: we can help you simplify your code when you are ready)
- Table Value Parameters — we are ready to embrace this feature, as it gives you the ability to pass an entire table to a stored procedure. But, unless by some miracle Microsoft took user feedback into consideration since the time of this writing, this was only the ability to pass tables *inbound* into a Stored Procedure (i.e., read-only by the SP) and did not allow you to output a table value parameter (i.e., you couldn't pass updated information back through the parm). Our take is that this rather crippled the whole "feature", but perhaps a future SQL-Server 2008 Service Pack will implement this? (wishful thinking?!)
- ...and more.
[EDITOR NOTE:] We here at Intersoft Development may tend to focus on Programmability Enhancements to the Database Engine, and other software development related aspects of the SQL-2008 upgrade (since this is one of our specialties in addition to database performance tuning), so you may want to look into the rest of the "What's New in SQL-Server 2008" information in detail in those SQL Books Online and / or in the MSDN Library on the web (msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library) for full release details.
With all of this newly available functionality and power, there can be a steep learning curve, especially with tuning and optimizing performance of large databases. Let us assist you with your transition and optimize your SQL Server 2008 implementation — be it as "hired guns" to finish the complete job for you, or as mentors to your development staff; whatever works best for you.
SQL Server 2008 is an exciting technology and a valuable component of our overall Database Solutions capabilities.
Our SQL Server experts are among the most knowledgeable and experienced in the industry. Whether you need an enterprise SQL Server application built from the ground up, selective tuning of your existing Databases, or simply an occasional database administrator, we can help you.
Contact us now to discuss your particular Database requirements and experience proven database development expertise that is guaranteed to produce results.
News: SQL Server 2008 R2 is now available. It is our opinion that this really should have been a free service-pack update to SQL2008, and that our clients should not bother moving to 2008 R2 unless they require a particular feature in SQL2008 R2 (or have Software Assurance and receive the update as part of that program). There is essentially nothing new from a programming or database-engine standpoint; instead this release seems mostly about revenue-generation through cross-selling Office 2010 / Sharepoint 2010 with new SQL-Server extensions like PowerPivot for SharePoint and PowerPivot for Excel. There are new facilities for Multi-Server Administration and a new Master Data Services construct that targets enterprise-wide auditable data-standardization and centralization. Provisions for connecting to the Database Engine Using Extended Protection now exist, as does Unicode Compression. If any of that sounds like a "must have", then perhaps SQL Server 2008 R2 is for you.
News: SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 is now available, and includes these noteworthy updates: you can "slipstream" a SQL Server 2008 update, SQL Server 2008 SP1 now introduces the ability to uninstall cumulative updates or service packs, and
SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 now provides a ClickOnce version of Report Builder 2.0.
News: SQL Server 2008 Books Online Update (May 2009) is available - fixes and updates, better examples, etc.
Note: You can always download the 180-day TRIAL VERSION of SQL2008 until you obtain a full purchased / licensed copy and have it installed. Performing an evaluation prior to purchase is certainly an option,... but call me [editor: Mike] a SQL-Server groupie perhaps... my past experience with SQL-Server 6, 6.5, 7, 2000, and 2005 has always been a positive one in that I absolutely was thrilled with the improved functionality and features with each subsequent release, and overall the database management system has been quite stable and robust. As such, I always purchase the latest version as soon as it is available.
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