To SQL or not to SQL

SQL Server in Fiber Mode

Every now and again, somebody finds the "Fiber Mode" setting switch in Server Properties.

If you read the 2 lines that BOL has about it, you actually get to think that it is a good idea. After reading the following article from Ken Henderson (Microsoft), I think you might change your mind:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnsqldev/html/sqldev_02152005.asp?frame=true

While you are there, read his articles on SQL Server Memory Architecture and User Mode Scheduler. Good insight into how some things work.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnsqldev/html/Sqldev_02252004.asp?frame=true

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnsqldev/html/sqldev_01262004.asp?frame=true

At last, Editions and Pricing for SQL Server 2005 are announced

Now we know for sure what we can buy. Microsoft announced today edition and pricing information for SQL Server 2005:

• Enterprise Edition
• Standard Edition
• Workgroup Edition
• Express Edition

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2005/feb05/02-24ExpandedProductSuitePR.asp

The workgroup edition seems to be the perfect price for the users migrating off Express.

Express Edition is FREE and Enterprise Edition tops out at US$ 24'999 per processor. Can't wait to get my 16-processor box and drop the bill on the boss' table!

Shipping date is still expected US Summer 2005 (or 'when it is ready')

MDAC and SNAC and SQL Server 2005

Was listening to a Microsoft Public Online Discussion a few days ago.

I don't know if I was sleeping the last few months, but I nearly did a double take when it was said that MDAC 9.0 (the version that was going to ship with SQL Server 2005/Yukon and the one that had been floating around in the Beta's) was no longer going to ship. No version of MDAC is going to ship with SQL Server 2005.

Why?

Well, MDAC now belongs to the Operating System and will be exclusively shipped with Windows OS releases.

So what ships with SQL Server 2005?

SNAC (SQL Native Access Client). The .Net managed providers.

Here is the roadmap, but SNAC is trill called SQLNCLI (maybe marketing has still to give it a longer name):

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnmdac/html/data_mdacroadmap.asp

So those who don't stay current with the latest Service Packs, don't get the latest MDAC stack. I am wondering how many Newsgroup Posts will be spent answering "Please get the latest SP and Hotfix. That will fix your data access problem". mmmmmmmm.

FRunCM: WTF, SQL server has died!

Just had my excitement for the afternoon.

Had the Implementation Team install some database drivers from Merant/DataDirect onto a Windows 2003 Server with SQL Server 2000 sp3 patched to 952.

Box was rebooted and BINGO!

All the instances of SQL Server startup and die with "FRunCM: Process xxxx generated fatal exception c0000005 EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION. SQL Server is terminating this process."

OK, Re-Installed MDAC 2.8. No luck.

Installed a new instance of SQL Server. It dies on SP3 installation.

Well, after much hunting, it turns out that the 3rd party driver decided to install in it's own directory and register an old version of sqloledb.dll. Once I re-registered the most recent one in C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\Ole DB, everything is happy again.

Like a good boy, I did this in the Test environment, long before it was to go into Production environments.