TechNet Flash, Volume 12, Issue 21 - October 20, 2010
TechNet Flash Editor's Note from Mitch Irsfeld
SQL Server 2008 R2 Migration Guidance
We've collected a set of articles and resources to help you evaluate a move to SQL Server 2008 R2, plan and execute your migration of existing services, and manage the database engine. But lest we get ahead of ourselves, you could still be deciding whether an upgrade to SQL Server 2008 R2 is the right move for your organization. So we've also put together a set of articles and resources to help you understand the capabilities of SQL Server 2008 R2, including a free eBook from Microsoft Press.
For a limited time, you can download the 10-chapter eBook Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2, by Ross Mistry and Stacia Misner. And be sure to read eWeek's review of SQL Server 2008 R2 to learn about the enhancements and new management capabilities.
There are many potential scenarios you may encounter during an upgrade where you'll want to migrate a SQL Server installation. The TechNet Library article "Migrating to SQL Server 2008 R2" describes the migration process and provides how-to information on migrating specific services.
During the process you'll need to find all instances of the existing database, and finding older, sometimes even unsupported, instances of SQL Server can be a very manual effort. But the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit provides a new collection mechanism that quickly locates all instances of SQL Server 2000, SQL Server 2005, and SQL Server 2008 in your software inventory, their SKUs and version information.
For your deployment needs, there are several options and tools to accomplish the tasks. We've included the following articles for specific how-to guidance:
On the management side, we included a very useful tutorial on using SQL Server Management Studio, which brings graphical tools for database management together with a rich development environment. SQL Server 2008 R2 introduces new management tools to help you proactively manage database environments efficiently at scale through centralized visibility into resource utilization. Download the TechNet Library article "SQL Server 2008 R2 - Application and Multi-Server Management," which describes the new extensions that help improve IT efficiency and productivity.
Finally, upgrading your core data platform has to be done with a look ahead at your evolving IT infrastructure, and for most organizations today, that means exploring the benefits of cloud computing. The SQL Azure platform will shortly enable you to easily maintain your familiar SQL Server infrastructure while integrating shared, hosted data services, and to begin understanding the cost and efficiency benefits of this new model.
With SQL Azure you don't have to choose between an in-house server installation and the hosted service. You can spread workloads across both platforms and run them where they are most cost effective. The new TechNet Magazine article by Josh Hoffman, "An IT Pro's Introduction to SQL Azure," describes the scenarios where SQL Azure is a particularly good fit, how to set up an account to access the Azure services, and how to integrate with SQL Server.
When you're set to give it a try, check out the SQL Azure Migration Wizard v3.3.9, which walks you through the selection of your SQL objects, creates SQL scripts suitable for SQL Azure, and allows you to migrate your data. Microsoft Support provides an article, "Database Migration to SQL Azure," that discusses a scenario for migrating an on-premises solution to SQL Azure.
Thanks for reading,
Mitch Irsfeld
Editor, TechNet Flash
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