Eugene Ruthven, Toronto, Canada 416.556.0281

SQL Server 2005
Differences from SQL Server 2000

(based on Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Implemenation and Maintenance Self-Paced Training Kit    ISBN: 978-0-7356-2271-5)

The Big Differences

Performance Tuning/Monitoring/Troubleshooting - Index Tuning Advisor replaced by Database Engine Tuning Advisor - more tools for troubleshooting (one report was reducing something that took hours to solve in 2000 down to minutes in 2005)

XML Native Support Added - greatly expanded XML capabilities

HTTP Endpoints - allows stored procedures and functions to be called from apps using SOAP protocol

Partitions - expanded from what could be done in 2000

Full-Text Catalogs - Windows text searching copied within 2005 to allow indexes on masses of text and documents

Additional Changes
1. Database Mail able to send/receive mail without using an external program like Outlook
2. Schemas tables organized into groups within table group
3. Encryption can encrypt data down to column level
4. Create User statement
5. Create Login statement
6. varchar(max), nvarchar(max), varbinary(max) these have been expanded with the aim of dropping text, ntext & image data types in future versions
7. Computed Column Persisted keyword added
8. Table Variables Declare @Customer table (....)
9. Create Type statement user-defined data type
10. CLR UDTs used with date and time data and other small and discrete data
11. Create Index...online option index available during indexing operation
12. Alter Index...rebuild option
13. index included columns
14. Pivot/Unpivot operators in Select statement
15. Full-text indexes new functions like: Contains and FreeText
16. TableSample clause in Select statement
17. Try and Catch error handling
18. Partitioning speeds up process of handling huge #'s of rows -> millions
19. Create Partition Function statement
20. Create Partition Scheme statement
21. $Partition function
22. Managing Partitions: split, merge, switch
23. Create Indexed View in any version of 2005
24. XML support extended alot
25. XML data type
26. XQUERY & XPATH query languages search XML data -> XQUERY is a complete programming language
27. store xml-formatted data in text or XML data type column
28. composition & shredding techniques applied to XML
29. Create XML Schema Collection statement
30. For XML clause in Select statement has Path option added to others: Raw, Auto, Explicit
31. ROOT instruction
32. Create Function has "with execute as caller" option added
33. DDL Triggers
34. Bulk Insert statement's security tightened up
35. Importing Bulk XML data as a Single_Blob
36. DTS replaced by SSIS (SQL Server Integration Services)
37. more flexible ways to do backups Restore option can skip damaged media sectors using best-effort restore
38. validating backups more meaningful now goes beyond simply checking media headers
39. Index Fragmentation levels
40. Viewing column statistics in different ways has been added.
41. Create Endpoint statement this has to do with SOAP and HTTP Endpoints
42. Job schedules are separate entities so can be used in multiple jobs. I suspect this may not be all that useful because adjusting job schedules as time and needs change is a fact of administration.
43. Maintenance plans are now SSIS packages.
44. Database Engine Tuning Advisor replaces Index Tuning Wizard, part of performance monitoring
45. Dynamic Management Views (DMVs) part of performance monitoring
46. Dynamic Management Functions (DMFs) part of performance monitoring
47. Dedicated Administrator Connection (DAC) allows administrator to connect at all times -> last resort connection method if all other means fails
48. can include ShowPlan info in Profile traces called ShowPlan XML event
49. Database Snapshot create read-only copies of database - very fast - can be used as part of a recovery operation
50. Database Mirroring
51. Log Shipping
52. Peer-to-Peer Replications
53. db_owner role can set up replication now
54. Publication Access List (PAL) more control over access to publications
55. Service Broker message-queuing system for distributed apps
56. Create Message Type statement Service Broker
57. Hidden Tables Service Broker
58. Create Queue statement Service Broker
59. Create Service statement Service Broker
60. Begin Dialog Conversation command Service Broker
61. Create Route statement Service Broker
62. Full-Text Catalogs
63. Create FullText Catalog statement Full-Text Catalog
64. Create FullText Index statement Full-Text Catalog
65. FreeText function Full-Text Catalog, does a fuzzy search for word forms


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