Microsoft SQL Server Development Customer Advisory Team : SQL Server 2005 Best Practices Analyzer (January 2008) — Now Available!

Just a reminder that if you already have the SQL 2005 BPA installed it will self-update at your next run.  I was impressed to hear this update addresses extensive amounts of memory being paged out.  Been there.

SQL Server 2005 Best Practices Analyzer (January 2008) — Now Available!

It’s a new year and, with it, we come bearing gifts!  We have a pretty significant update to SQL Server 2005 Best Practices Analyzer.  It contains many new and updated rules for Analysis Services, a few important rules for the Relational Engine, a couple bug fixes for the UI and command line tools.  And all of these rules have rich documentation telling you what need to know.

New Rules

Analysis Services

In the last release, only a few rules for Analysis Services would be displayed.  These were mainly around security.  With this release, we detect potential issues with the design of your cubes.  If you have taken a look at SQL Server 2008, you’ll see that these are the same warnings you’ll find in Business Intelligence Development Studio.  Thus, the recommendations from SQL BPA will be perfectly in sync with the recommendations from SQL Server 2008.

Relational Engine

We have worked closely with CSS to identify a number of common issues that customers have been facing.  In SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2, we started logging events regarding extensive amount of memory being paged out.  With this update of BPA, it will check to see if this happened and let you know if can determine the root cause.

Documentation

The documentation is what makes these rules worthwhile.  Each new rule has a breakdown of:

• How it was detected
• Why it’s important
• What you should do about it
• Links for more information

Not only will you be able to solve problems with your SQL instances more efficiently, you’ll have a very targeted list of reading material to teach you why it’s important.

Microsoft SQL Server Development Customer Advisory Team : SQL Server 2005 Best Practices Analyzer (January 2008) — Now Available!

WEBS – Windows Essential Business Server – Centro

OK – ever since WUS – pronounce woooss (Windows Update Services now renamed WSUS), I learned that either someone in the server naming department in Microsoft has a sense of humor or is really dull. Today Eric Ligman blogs about the formal announcement of naming rights for – formerly known as Centro – WEBS, Windows Essential Business Server. Now maybe you like Spiderman or you had a good take at Halloween but this is no basis to go naming servers especially ones that don’t include X-Box (no that isn’t a feature request BTW).  Does anyone else see the possible correlation between the metaphor of cobwebs being used at some future blog or news article by the ever present critics. Still this server is pretty cool when looking under the theoretical “still in beta” hood.

Take a look at what they are cramming into this solution for midsize business:

Windows Server 2008, Exchange Server 2007, Forefront Security for Exchange, System Center Essentials, the next version of ISA Server and SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition (exclusive to the Premium branded WEBS)

For further information look here: http://blogs.msdn.com/mssmallbiz/archive/2007/11/07/5955270.aspx