Introduction
SQL Express 2005 is a new, FREE, Microsoft SQL Server lightweight edition. This new edition is the upgrade to Microsoft’s SQL Server 2000 Desktop Edition (MSDE). Targeted to developers of “simple” applications, it includes a fully functional SQL Server database engine and a Query Analyzer type management tool. And best of all, it is FREE to use and redistribute.
What is a “Simple” application?
Microsoft repeatedly uses the phrases “simple applications”, “lightweight,” and “mobile or web applications” when describing the target uses for SQL Server Express 2005. However, the generous restrictions of Express make it an ideal database for many applications. Express is limited to 1 CPU, 1 GB RAM, and 4 GB Max database size. There is NO workload governor (See July article SQL Sever 2000 MDSE for a complete description of the workload governor). Meaning SQL will not slow, or restrict its response times due to licensing constraints. SQL Server Express can be installed on a machine with multiple CPUs and RAM in excess of 1 GB, but the database engine will limit scheduler threads to one, meaning only one CPU will be used. Similarly, the buffer pool, where data pages are stored, will only use 1 GB of RAM, regardless of any additional memory available. Enterprise features are not supported on SQL Express. Missing are Analysis Services, Reporting Services, DTS, and Notification Services. Aside from these restrictions, the SQL Server Express database engine is the same one found in the other SQL products. Triggers, cursors, views, stored procedures, CLR, XML, and TSQL are all supported the same way they are in any other version of SQL Server.
Some Microsoft documentation describes SQL Express as a tool for hobbyists and non-database experts. Don’t let these descriptions dissuade your use of SQL Express. It is a full featured robust SQL Server engine. Although SQL Express does ship with a tool similar to Query Analyzer, I feel hobbyists familiar with Microsoft Access, or File Maker Pro will not be able to make the transition. SQL Express is still SQL Server. For DBAs, this is a very good thing. The familiar methods, functions, and concepts from other versions of SQL Server carry over without change to SQL Express.
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