Datasheet

can properly react to a wide variety of events, notifying all interested
parties that an event has occurred. SQL Server 2005 Express does let
you take advantage of replication, but only as a subscriber.
⻬ Backup/recovery options: Because backup and recovery are a vital part
of any data integrity and reliability plan, SQL Server 2005 offers adminis-
trators a choice among several different recovery models, each of which
has its own strengths and weaknesses. However, your data-archiving
choices are somewhat more reduced for SQL Server 2005 Express. You
can still set up a very robust backup and recovery strategy; it’s just not
as full featured as in the more advanced editions of SQL Server. In partic-
ular, because the SQL Server Agent is not present, you won’t be able to
schedule jobs or configure alerts and operators.
Where Does SQL Server Express 2005
Work Best?
SQL Server 2005 Express brings a lot to the table, but when does it make
sense to choose it as your data storage platform? I answer this question in
this section.
Small office/Home office (SOHO)
Small offices and home offices (SOHO) are often caught between a rock and a
hard place when dealing with software and solutions. Either the technology is
underpowered and simplistic, not quite meeting their needs, or it’s expen-
sive, overly complex, and resource intensive.
SQL Server 2005 Express strikes a nice balance between simplicity and
power, while holding the cost as low as you can possibly get. Plus, because
many small businesses one day find themselves morphed (or acquired) into
larger enterprises, making this database server the cornerstone of your data
storage architecture means that you never outgrow your database: You can
easily upgrade to SQL Server 2005 Enterprise.
On top of that, the fact that SQL Server 2005 Express is a true relational data-
base management platform means that you can store and track just about
anything in your database. Some particularly good applications include
⻬ Inventory details
⻬ Sales statistics
⻬ Financial metrics
15
Chapter 1: SQL Server 2005 Express Overview
05_599275 ch01.qxp 6/1/06 9:08 PM Page 15