Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 released

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 released

Software giant Microsoft has now released the second service pack for their SQL Server 2005 application suite.

This update is available as a free download from the company’s website. The company has also introduced new virtualization licensing for the database.

The company said in a statement that this new license allows for unlimited virtual instances of the SQL Server SP2 database to run on servers that are fully licensed for SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition.

This technology is being tried by companies around the world to reduce the number of physical servers and increase their utilization.

Microsoft said that this service pack release includes better interoperability with other vendors. A feature named Report Builder, can build customized reports drawn on data held in Oracle products and Hyperion Solutions’ Essbase database.

Some other feature additions are as under:
– Add-ins for Office 2007 programs such as Excel and Visio — a drawing and diagramming application — will enable data mining using SQL Server Analysis Services, the database’s online analytical processing component.

– SQL Server Reporting Services — a tool for creating and managing reports — is integrated with SharePoint, the company’s portal building and document-sharing software.

– New management tools include improved database maintenance, enhanced management reports and a new copy database wizard.