Specifications
SQL Server 2008 R2 Enhancements for DBAs CHAPTER 1 9
spoke (control node and compute nodes) architecture. Performance improvements can
be attained with Parallel Data Warehouse’s design approach because it partitions large
tables over several physical nodes, resulting in each node having its own CPU, memory,
storage, and SQL Server instance. This design directly eliminates issues with speed and
provides scale because a control node evenly distributes data to all compute nodes.
The control node is also responsible for gathering data from all compute nodes when
returning queries to applications. There isn’t much a DBA needs to do from an imple-
mentation perspective—the deployment and maintenance is simplied because the
solution comes preassembled from certied hardware vendors.
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Integration with Microsoft SQL Azure The client tools included with SQL Server
2008 R2 allow DBAs to connect to SQL Azure, a cloud-based service. SQL Azure is
part of the Windows Azure platform and offers a exible and fully relational database
solution in the cloud. The hosted database is built on SQL Server technologies and is
completely managed. Therefore, organizations do not have to install, congure, or deal
with the day-to-day operations of managing a SQL Server infrastructure to support
their database needs. Other key benets offered by SQL Azure include simplication
of the provisioning process, support for Transact-SQL, and transparent failover. Yet an-
other enhancement afliated with SQL Azure is the Generate And Publish Scripts Wiz-
ard, which now includes SQL Azure as both a source and a destination for publishing
scripts. SQL Azure has something for businesses of all sizes. For example, startups and
medium-sized businesses can use this service to create scalable, custom applications,
and larger businesses can use SQL Azure to build corporate departmental applications.
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Installation of SQL Server with Sysprep Organizations have been using the
System Preparation tool (Sysprep) for many years now to automate the deployment
of operating systems. SQL Server 2008 R2 introduces this technology to SQL Server.
Installing SQL Server with Sysprep involves a two-step procedure that is typically con-
ducted by using wizards on the Advanced page of the Installation Center. In the rst
step, a stand-alone instance of SQL Server is prepared. This step prepares the image;
however, it stops the installation process after the binaries of SQL Server are installed.
To initiate this step, select the Image Preparation Of A Stand-Alone Instance For Sys-
Prep Deployment option on the Advanced page of the Installation Center. The second
step completes the conguration of a prepared instance of SQL Server by providing
the machine, network, and account-specic information for the SQL Server instance.
This task can be carried out by selecting the Image Completion Of A Prepared Stand-
Alone Instance step on the Advanced page of the Installation Center. SQL Server 2008
R2 Sysprep is recommended for DBAs seeking to automate the deployment of SQL
Server while investing the least amount of their time.
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Analysis Services integration with SharePoint SQL Server 2008 R2 introduces
a new option to individually select which feature components to install. SQL Server
PowerPivot for SharePoint is a new role-based installation option in which PowerPivot
for SharePoint will be installed on a new or existing SharePoint 2010 server to support