Monday, August 25, 2008
SQL Server 2008 Express with Advanced Services
The last version of SQL Server 2008 Express that was not available, has been posted for download. SQL Server 2008 Express with Advanced Services includes everything in the other versions of Express plus Full Text Search and Reporting Services. See this page for more details and to download it or the other 2 versions of SQL Server 2008 Express.
Report Builder 2.0 RC1
Report Builder 2.0 RC1 is now available for download. This should be the feature complete version of Report Builder, the RTM for it is expected in October.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Microsoft BI Conference (10/6 - 10/8)
I will be attending the 2nd annual Microsoft BI Conference in Seattle on October 6 thru October 8! Click the picture below for more info! Register by 8/22 and get $300 off the normal $1295 registration fee.
Monday, August 11, 2008
SQL Server 2008 Express Edition
SQL Server 2008 Express Edition has been released and is now available for download at this link. Currently, only the basic version is available, but the version with tools and another version with advanced services (includes Reporting Services and full text search) will be available soon.
For those unfamiliar with the many different versions of SQL Server, this is the free version that anyone can use and install, just has a reduced feature set and reduced physical limitations (1 CPU, 1 GB RAM, 4GB user data per database). In other words, great for development, but should not be used on production servers.
For those unfamiliar with the many different versions of SQL Server, this is the free version that anyone can use and install, just has a reduced feature set and reduced physical limitations (1 CPU, 1 GB RAM, 4GB user data per database). In other words, great for development, but should not be used on production servers.
VS2008 SP1 and .NET 3.5 SP1 Released
Visual Studio 2008 SP1 and .NET 3.5 SP1 have both been released today. If you have access to MSDN downloads, use this link to see the full list of all the new downloads (wow are there a bunch of VS2008 versions).
See this link for details on the changes to both.
See this link for details on the changes to both.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008
Update (08/11/2008): See this blog post, which explains the issue with the RTM version of SQL Server 2008 and VS2008 SP1.
There seems to be an installation issue with the RTM version of SQL Server 2008, if you already have Visual Studio 2008 installed on the same system. The RTM version of SQL Server 2008 includes the Visual Studio 2008 SP1 bits for BIDS (Business Intelligence Development Studio) and SQL Server Management Studio, which both use Visual Studio components. Both of these are part of the Tools install components in SQL Server.
The issue is that Visual Studio 2008 SP1 is not yet widely available, so you cannot upgrade Visual Studio 2008 before installing SQL Server 2008 as the installer will tell you to do. Based on this the release of Visual Studio 2008 SP1 must be coming very soon, otherwise the SQL Server team would not have included it in the RTM version of SQL Server 2008.
See this Microsoft Support KnowledgeBase entry for more details and some possible solutions
There seems to be an installation issue with the RTM version of SQL Server 2008, if you already have Visual Studio 2008 installed on the same system. The RTM version of SQL Server 2008 includes the Visual Studio 2008 SP1 bits for BIDS (Business Intelligence Development Studio) and SQL Server Management Studio, which both use Visual Studio components. Both of these are part of the Tools install components in SQL Server.
The issue is that Visual Studio 2008 SP1 is not yet widely available, so you cannot upgrade Visual Studio 2008 before installing SQL Server 2008 as the installer will tell you to do. Based on this the release of Visual Studio 2008 SP1 must be coming very soon, otherwise the SQL Server team would not have included it in the RTM version of SQL Server 2008.
See this Microsoft Support KnowledgeBase entry for more details and some possible solutions
More SQL Server 2008 RTM News/Downloads
After the big news yesterday of SQL Server 2008 being completed, so of the other add-ons are now starting to be available as well. See below for the list of add-ons that I could find so far.
To get the trial version of SQL Server 2008, you can start at this site. The X86, X64 and IA64 versions are all available for a 180 day trial version. If you have access to an MSDN or TechNet subscription, the full versions are all available for you to download now by accessing your subscription download page.
RTM version of the SQL Server 2008 Books Online in English is available here.
The August Feature Pack for SQL Server 2008 is available here. The RTM version of Report Builder 2.0 (Reporting Services ad-hoc reporting tool) is not yet available, word is that it will be available at the end of August.
To download the RTM version of the SQL Server 2008 Samples, use the following link to CodePlex
To download the RTM version of the SQL Server 2008 AdventureWorks databases, use the following link to CodePlex
To get the trial version of SQL Server 2008, you can start at this site. The X86, X64 and IA64 versions are all available for a 180 day trial version. If you have access to an MSDN or TechNet subscription, the full versions are all available for you to download now by accessing your subscription download page.
RTM version of the SQL Server 2008 Books Online in English is available here.
The August Feature Pack for SQL Server 2008 is available here. The RTM version of Report Builder 2.0 (Reporting Services ad-hoc reporting tool) is not yet available, word is that it will be available at the end of August.
To download the RTM version of the SQL Server 2008 Samples, use the following link to CodePlex
To download the RTM version of the SQL Server 2008 AdventureWorks databases, use the following link to CodePlex
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 RTM
Microsoft has announced that SQL Server 2008 is now RTM (Release to Manufacturing) as of today. See press release here.
DVSUG Presentation Links
Below are the links to my slides and Visual Studio solutions from the various presentations that I have done for the Denver Visual Studio User Group (DVSUG) since 2007.
July 25, 2008 - DVSUG Lab - SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services RC0
April 28, 2008 - DVSUG Monthly Meeting - SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services and Visual Studio 2008 (Heroes Happen Here Community Launch)
July 27, 2007 - DVSUG Lab - Integrating SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services into Web and Windows Applications Using Visual Studio 2005
January 26, 2007 - DVSUG Lab - Creating Dynamic Reports Using Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
I had a great time doing all of these presentations and hope to do more in the future!
July 25, 2008 - DVSUG Lab - SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services RC0
- Slides
- Visual Studio 2008 Solution
(SQL Server 2008 RC0 or RTM must be installed for this solution to work)
April 28, 2008 - DVSUG Monthly Meeting - SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services and Visual Studio 2008 (Heroes Happen Here Community Launch)
- Slides
- Visual Studio 2008 Solution (SQL Server 2008 RC0 or RTM must be installed for this solution to work)
July 27, 2007 - DVSUG Lab - Integrating SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services into Web and Windows Applications Using Visual Studio 2005
January 26, 2007 - DVSUG Lab - Creating Dynamic Reports Using Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
I had a great time doing all of these presentations and hope to do more in the future!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Intro
Who are you?
My name is Steve and I have been working for the last 5 years almost exclusively on integrating BI solutions into existing or new applications (mostly Microsoft .NET applications). The solutions that I have developed so far are deployed for intranet usage at a major financial services organization with hundreds of users. Most of my experience is in using Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services to provide the BI information to users, but I also evaluate many of the other Microsoft BI products (Analysis Services, ProClarity and Performance Point Server). I have also presented many times at the Denver Visual Studio User Group and will be posting all of my presentation materials here as well.
Why do we need yet another BI blog?
Hopefully I will be able to provide a single source of information based on all the other blogs, books and other sources of information.
Feel free to contact me if you have any specific topics you would like to read about, or have specific questions. I'm looking forward to this being a place where I can share as much information at BI that I can find.
My name is Steve and I have been working for the last 5 years almost exclusively on integrating BI solutions into existing or new applications (mostly Microsoft .NET applications). The solutions that I have developed so far are deployed for intranet usage at a major financial services organization with hundreds of users. Most of my experience is in using Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services to provide the BI information to users, but I also evaluate many of the other Microsoft BI products (Analysis Services, ProClarity and Performance Point Server). I have also presented many times at the Denver Visual Studio User Group and will be posting all of my presentation materials here as well.
Why do we need yet another BI blog?
Hopefully I will be able to provide a single source of information based on all the other blogs, books and other sources of information.
Feel free to contact me if you have any specific topics you would like to read about, or have specific questions. I'm looking forward to this being a place where I can share as much information at BI that I can find.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)