SQL Server Advent Calendar 24 – Upgrade

It’s Christmas Eve and the last day of my virtual advent calendar on SQL Server 2008..

Hopefully the last 23 posts have given you some idea of what’s in SQL Server 2008 so I thought it might be useful to conclude with a word on upgrade.  Firstly SQL Server 2008 has a lot in common with SQL server 2005 so if that’s where you are then upgrade is pretty painless and straightforward.

Don’t panic if your still on SQL Server 2000, you can upgrade straight to SQL Server 2008, and there is a massive amount of support to help you. Probably the best place to start is the SQL Server 2008 Technical Reference Guide.  This covers all aspects of the SQL Server (DBEngine, Reporting Services, Analysis Services and Data Transformation Services/Integration Services) and provides a very detailed (490 pages) of help to ensure upgrade is painless as possible.

There’s also more help on TechNet and a tool to discover where your servers are:

• Microsoft Assessment and Planning Tool
  Free toolkit from Microsoft that finds computers on a network and performs detailed inventory of software running on those computers
• How to upgrade to SQL Server 2008 (on TechNet)

So take the next few days to read over the guide so you can get started on your upgrade next week, unless that is, you have other plans tomorrow!

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