Datasheet

Chapter 1

System/Subsystem Description Editions

Data Transformation

Services

Data Transformation Services (DTS) has expanded

enormously in SQL Server 2000. A great range of

different functionality in transforming data, either

within a database, or transferring information in or out,

is now available, including the ability to customize tasks

and workflows. DTS is a greatly under-utilized product

that reduces the need for companies to use a

programmatic approach to transform data (for example,

with Visual Basic), or even a basic Bulk Copy Program

(bcp). We will cover DTS in Chapter 22.

Personal

Standard

Developer

Enterprise

There are a few additional differences between the various editions of SQL Server 2000. These include:

❑ Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP): Support for SMP has increased a great deal through the

different editions of SQL Server 2000 (though Win 98 and NT4 Workstation can't support

this). There is support for up to four processors in the Standard edition if installed on NT

Server or Enterprise, and support for up to 32 processors with the Enterprise edition if it is

installed on Windows 2000 Datacenter Server.

SMP distributes the workload of the server over multiple processors symmetrically – that is, it

tries to balance the load as opposed to running on just one CPU per process.

❑ Clustering Support (Enterprise/Developer editions only): Clustering allows load-balancing

across servers and automatic fail-over support (if one server dies, another one automatically

picks up where the other left off). Currently, you can only cluster two servers with all operating

systems, with the exception of Windows NT Enterprise edition, Windows 2000 Enterprise

edition, and Windows 2000 Datacenter edition which can have up to four cluster servers.

Which Edition Should You Use?

The answer to this is like the answer to most things in life: it depends.

Each of the various editions has a particular target "market" that it's designed for. Usually, I find some

exceptions to the rules on how things should best be used but, for these products, I would say that what

Microsoft designed them for really is their best use. Let's take a quick look at the editions, one by one. The

following section gives my summary of each edition. Obviously, Microsoft makes its own comparisons,

which it might be useful for you to see. Don't forget that there is a Microsoft slant to all of these.

❑ http://www.Microsoft.com/sql/productinfo/sqlcompdata.htm – gives an overall comparison on

data warehousing

❑ http://www.Microsoft.com/sql/productinfo/sqlcompecom.htm – gives an overall comparison

on e-commerce

❑ http://www.Microsoft.com/sql/productinfo/sqlcomplob.htm – gives an overall comparison on

Line-of-Business

❑ http://www.Microsoft.com/sql/productinfo/feaover.htm – gives a features overview with links

to specific areas