Wednesday 26 April 2006

SQL Server 2005 Downloads

Bunch of downloads for SQL Server 2005. I've got a feeling we'll see a number of these updates. Nearly 5 months after the release and Books Online still isn't complete!!


SQL Server 2005 Books Online

SQL Server 2005 Feature pack

SQL Server 2005 Samples and Sample Databases

SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1


Monday 10 April 2006

Why Can't I view all the logs in SQL 2005 Log Viewer ??

What I thought would be a cool feature in SQL Server 2005 is the Log Viewer.
A little way down the track I'm begining to be very disillusioned. Take a look at the following screenshoots and see how where you open the Log Viewer from seems to affect what you can select to view.
#1 - Under Management folder, right-clicking Database Mail and choosing 'View Database Mail Log' presents me with the following.
Database Mail Log
Job History Log
Maintenance Plan Log
SQL Agent Logs
Windows Event Logs (Note: Even though we're running Windows Server 2003 it's still Windows NT Event Logs)
No SQL Server Error Logs are available fior viewing





Log Viewer #2 Under SQL Server Agent\Error Logs, double-clicking one of the logs presents me with the following.
Database Mail Log
SQL Agent Logs
Windows Event Logs
No SQL Server Error Logs are available fior viewing
No Job History Logs are available fior viewing
No Maintenance Plan Logs are available fior viewing





Log Viewer #3 Under Managment\SQL Server Logs, double-clicking one of the logs presents me with the following.
Database Mail Log
SQL Agent Logs
SQL Server Logs
Windows Event Logs
No Job History Logs are available fior viewing
No Maintenance Plan Logs are available fior viewing





Now this is a pretty poor showing for a release product. Much evidence of rushing out the door to meet a deadline. Hopefully these "glitches" will be recitified with coming service packs and make the toolset actually usable.

Monday 3 April 2006

SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio Rant

Can someone answer this simple question for me?

If we are meant to perform development tasks in the new SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio, whay can't we create a database project?

When I try to open my database project from Visual Studio.Net 2003 I get told

"The application for project 'blah' is not installed"

Surely a development tool targeted at database technologies has a database project that allows me to develop stored procedures, etc..., or is Microsoft telling me that I need to purchase a Visual Studio .Net 2005 license to develop databases??

In Visual Studio .Net 2003 I have a database project that consists of numerous folders containing SQL scripts for tables, procedures, views and initialisation data. I can right-click any of these scripts and run it on any one of the database references that are also included in the project.

I thought new versions of products were supposed to introduce new features, not remove useful functionality!