To SQL or not to SQL

Will you be at SQL PASS Community Summit in September?

http://www.sqlpass.org/events/summit05/index.cfm

Make sure you get to THE SQL Server conference of the year.

Even CELKO will be there, a very rare occurrence, presenting a session. If you don't know who CELKO is, Google for his name in the newsgroups. He has a very, very strong opinion on ANSI standards, and does tell users who shame the standards where to go.

The cycle of SQL Server 2005

PASS European Conference last week in Munich brought some clarity.

The jist of the release cycle is that Microosft can not pass up Tech Ed in June to do a release of a CTP. And after that, there will be another CTP, and then, if everything goes right, RTM. CTP's are generally on a 2 month cycle, so June plus 4 months?

Time will only tell.

Time to write a book

I have been wondering, should I write a book on SQL Server 2005?

Not one of those that go on-and-on-and-on about how to learn to read 1'200 pages, with a bit of SQL Server thrown in to make the title valid..

Well, Jens Süßmeyer and I have begun the long road to wrist injuries and late nights. We seem to have the same ideas, with the plain writing, and honesty, as shown at the SQL PASS 2005 European Conference keynote by Gert Drapers.

Topic? Do we need one? Well yes. Think of it as being a lesson for DBA's on how to embrace the new SQL Server 2005. Too many things have changed to sit back, and it does not help to call SQL Server 2005 names like CLR Server 2005.

SQL Server 2000 SP4 problems with AWE

Looks to be a bit of a wild one.

SQL Server 2000 SP4 introduced a bug where only 1/2 the RAM can be accessed by SQL Server when AWE is enabled.

So, it you have 16GB, SQL Server will only use 8GB.

There is a Microsoft KB article #  899761 that describes the problem.

It's advice is to un-install SP4 and call PSS. A Hotfix for this is in progress.

The SP4 download site has now a warning about not installing SP4 on systems with AWE enabled. http://www.microsoft.com/sql/downloads/2000/sp4.asp

Now I wonder how SP4 got out the door with that problem!

Update 1: KB link is now available: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=899761

Update 2 (16 May): The hotfix is in testing, and a release is expected in about 7 days. For the moment, it will be a hotfix and not a SP re-release.

SQL Server 2000 SP4

Service Pack 4 for SQL Server 2000 is now available.

It has been a long time in beta, but before you install it (especially on production), read the readme that comes with it. There are changes that may affect the way some of your applications behave.

If you used undocumented commands, Microsoft may have changed them or the security has been tightened. As they are un-documented, they will not be mentioned as having changed in the readme. They are undocumented for a reason, so Microsoft can change them at will. Read and Writing to/from the Registry is affected.

Get it here http://www.microsoft.com/sql/downloads/2000/sp4.asp