SQL Server™ 2005 Bible

Chapter 3. Exploring SQL Server 2005 Architecture

In This Chapter

• Client/server data access

• The relational database engine

• SQL Server components

• SQL Server services

I became a reader of J. R. R. Tolkien novels in high school, a few decades before Hollywood brought Middle Earth to the masses. I remember the power of the phrase "and one ring to rule them all." Even though the story revolves around the one ring, there were other rings; and they all must have looked cool and had interesting properties, but the one ring was the strategic ring, the compelling ring. It was the crucible of the story.

Asked at the Get Ready for SQL Server 2005 road shows was the question "Why upgrade to SQL Server 2005?" There were many answers, which boiled down to various new technologies that might provide a payback on the upgrade cost — improved availability and performance, or new business intelligence (BI) tools were popular answers. I agree that any of those improved features might be the deciding factor for a given IT shop.

A Gartner SQL Server 2005 Analysis Report, quoted in ComputerWeekly's August 17, 2004 issue stated, "Yukon (the beta name for SQL Server 2005) is a montage release, lacking a clear focus or vision. Although Microsoft claims that it is delaying the release to ensure greater quality, Gartner believes that the protracted release of Yukon is largely due to the lack of clear focus and direction for SQL Server within Microsoft."

I couldn't disagree more.

Like Tolkien's rings, there are an overwhelming ...