SQL Server 2005 is distributed in four main editions: Workgroup, Standard, Enterprise, and Developer. In all of these editions, you will find a server installation and a workstation installation. The server installation includes the full version of SQL Server and support services. The workstation installation includes the client components, tools, and documentation.
Workgroup Edition is designed as an entry-level database solution. This edition is ideal for small departments in large enterprises and for small businesses that need a robust database solution, but do not need the extended business intelligence features of the Standard and Enterprise editions. The Workgroup Edition:
Runs on multiple versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system, including Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional, and Windows Server 2003.
Note
For all editions of SQL Server 2005 running on Microsoft Windows 2000, Service Pack 4 (SP4) or later must be installed. With Windows XP Professional, Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later must be installed. For additional requirements pertaining to the operation of SQL Server 2005 on Windows 2000 and Windows XP Professional, refer to the SQL Server 2005 Books Online.
Supports an unlimited database size, up to 3 GB of RAM, two CPUs for symmetric multiprocessing, limited replication publishing, and full-text search.
Enables log shipping, which allows SQL Server to send transaction logs from one server to another. Use this feature to create a standby server.
The most widely deployed edition is the Standard Edition, which is designed for the average-sized organization. The Standard Edition:
Runs on multiple versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system, including Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional, and Windows Server 2003.
Supports an unlimited database size, an unlimited amount of RAM, four CPUs for symmetric multiprocessing, full replication publishing, and full-text search.
Provides business intelligence services, including Analysis Services, Reporting Services, Notification Services, and Data Transformation Services.
Includes database mirroring, data mining, and data integration services.
While the Standard Edition is a strong database server solution, large organizations will want to consider the Enterprise Edition. The Enterprise Edition adds:
Unlimited scaling and partitioning, which provides for exceptional performance and the ability to scale SQL Server to support very large database installations. By horizontally partitioning tables across multiple servers, you can configure a group of servers to work together to support a large Web site or enterprise data processing.
Advanced database mirroring for complete online parallel operations and advanced analysis tools for data mining and full-featured OLAP.
Failover clustering, which allows you to create four-node clusters on Windows 2000 Datacenter Server and two-node clusters on Windows 2000 Advanced Server. Use this feature to provide failover and failback support.
As you might expect, the SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition runs on Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Windows 2000 Datacenter, Windows Server 2003 Enterprise, and Windows Server 2003 Datacenter. The Developer Edition supports all the features of the Enterprise Edition but is licensed for development/test use only.
Other editions of SQL Server 2005 are available. These editions include the Mobile Edition and the Express Edition (which replaces the Personal Edition in previous versions of SQL Server and includes the redistributable Database Engine). The Mobile Edition allows you to use SQL Server as the data store on smart devices. The Express Edition is the version you run when you want an easy-to-use, low-end database solution. The Express Edition is free and can be distributed with third-party applications. It supports up to a 4-GB database size, up to 1 GB of RAM, and a single CPU.
Note
With the exception of the Express and Mobile Editions, most of the differences between various editions of SQL Server are below the surface and don’ t affect the interface. Therefore, this text refers to specific editions and differentiates between the server and the desktop installation only when necessary. As you would expect, the Express and Mobile Editions have simple management interfaces.
All editions of SQL Server 2005 automatically and dynamically configure user connections. This is different from SQL Server 7.0 and earlier versions, in which specific limitations were placed on the number of simultaneous user connections. Therefore, you don’ t have to worry about managing user connections as much as in previous versions. Just keep in mind that as the number of user connections increases, so does the amount of resource usage on the server. The server has to balance the workload among the many user connections, which can result in decreased throughput for user connections and the server as a whole.
Unlike previous versions of SQL Server, SQL Server 2005 uses the Windows Installer and has a fully integrated installation process. This means you can configure SQL Server 2005 components using Add/Remove Programs much like you can any other application you install on the operating system. The installation can be performed remotely from a command shell as well as locally.
Chapter 2 provides detailed instructions for installing SQL Server 2005. For an initial installation, the installer will first check the system configuration to determine the status of required services and components, which includes checking the configuration and availability of components such as WMI, MSXML, IIS, Internet Explorer, and COM+ as well as the operating system, operating system service packs, installation permissions for the default install path, memory, and hardware.
After checking the system configuration, the installer offers a choice of components to install. Whether you use the Developer, Workgroup, Standard, or Enterprise Edition, you have similar options. You can:
Work with the full server installation. This option will perform a complete installation of the SQL Server Database Services, which includes data files, replication objects, and the full-text search engine. Choose SQL Server on the Components To Install page.
Work with the full server and select business intelligence services. This option will perform a complete installation of the SQL Server Database Services. You can choose to install Analysis Services, Reporting Services, Notification Services, and Data Transformation Services as necessary. If you choose to install Reporting Services, IIS and related components will also be installed and the server will be configured as a Report Server (Standard and Enterprise Editions only).
Create a workstation installation. This option allows you to start a normal installation but choose the Workstation Components, Books Online, And Development Tools option on the Components To Install page. This gives you the connectivity components, management tools, documentation, programming models, and samples. Do not select the server components. (If you use per-server licensing, this is the best option for management and development.)
Work with the full server and tool installation. This option will perform a complete installation of the SQL Server Database Services and the workstation components. You can install Analysis Services, Reporting Services, Notification Services, and Data Transformation Services as necessary if you are using the Standard or Enterprise Edition. To customize the installation, you can click Advanced on the Components To Install page.
Real World
If you only want to work with the data access components and network libraries, you can use the SQL Native Client Installation process rather than the SQL Server Installation process. The SQL Native Client Installation Wizard is accessible on the Autorun page when you are working with the SQL Server 2005 distribution media. The SQL Server Installation Wizard has this option as well. Click Advanced on the Components To Install page to display the Feature Selection page. Expand Client Components, and then select only the Connectivity Components for installation.