SQL Server 2000 Hits the Street
Shiloh has arrived! Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (originally given the code name Shiloh) arrived in stores nationwide late last month and it’s packed with brand new features. Microsoft’s development team included enhanced security mechanisms, simplified administrative tools and support for advanced web integration technologies. Many database professionals believe that this latest release marks SQL Server’s entry into the big leagues, ready to take on Oracle in the high-reliability DBMS world. For more on this view, read the article SQL Server 2000 Gains on Oracle from Visual Basic Programmer’s Journal.
Statistical analysis buffs will be pleased to learn that Shiloh includes greatly enhanced analytical features. Full-fledged data mining support is provided through the use of classification, regression and clustering algorithms (for more detail on these topics, see Data Mining: An Introduction). Microsoft’s implementation of online analytical processing (OLAP) technology allows data warehousers to store and manipulate large amounts of data with newfound ease. Additionally, database administrators concerned with importing data from diverse sources will be interested in SQL Server 2000′s enhanced Data Transformation Services.
Security enhancements abound in the latest SQL Server release. Most significantly, Microsoft adopted the security industry standard Kerberos authentication algorithm to facilitate creation and enforcement of secure trust relationships. The National Security Agency recently announced their certification of SQL Server 2000 as a C2-compliant computing platform. Reliability improvements such as log shipping, online backups and failover clustering are discussed in the article Maximizing Uptime.
An old adage reminds us that two statisticians can analyze the same set of numbers to reach diametrically opposed conclusions. Database server benchmarking studies prove no exception to this rule! A look at Microsoft’s benchmarking white papers heralds the triumph of SQL Server over all competitors during performance testing. It is important to note that Microsoft recently withdrew several benchmarking claims after doubts were raised in the technical press. Oracle Corporation’s Transaction Showdown compares the two platforms head-to-head and concludes that Oracle outperforms SQL Server.
SQL Server 2000′s debut marks the release of the first Back Office server product supporting Microsoft’s .Net strategy. Developers will discover inherent support for Extensible Markup Language (XML) programming as one of a series of improvements designed to enhance the SQL Server development environment. For a critical look at these enhancements, check out Timothy Dyck’s article SQL Server 2000 scales .Net up, out from eWeek magazine.
Licensees of prior SQL Server versions may be surprised to find that Microsoft has eliminated the popular “per server” licensing option as well as the Internet Connector License. Instead, IS managers will be forced to choose either a traditional Client Access License approach or a “per processor” licensing scheme. What does this mean to you? That depends upon your specific configuration. Generally, the new license model is simpler and easier to understand. However, many users may find themselves facing an unexpectedly high licensing fee. For a detailed analysis of these issues, read Brian Moran’s article SQL Server 2000 Licensing Changes — What You Need to Know.
Not sure if this upgrade is right for your computing environment? Try taking a look at Microsoft’s reasoning on why you should upgrade. Are you afraid that management will cringe when they see the bottom line? You’re not alone. Read SQL Magazine’s article on SQL Server 2000 Sticker Shock. If you recently purchased SQL Server 7.0 you may be able to obtain a discounted upgrade to SQL Server 2000 directly from Microsoft.
The bottom line? You’ll find a host of new security, reliability and development features in SQL Server 2000 but you’ll possibly face a heftier price tag associated with the upgrade. As with all critical infrastructure decisions, you’ll need to analyze your business needs and determine whether this move makes sense for your organization at this time.