Have you heard about SQL Server Everywhere?
I just heard about it from an article in Dr. Dobb's Journal (December 2006, page 24). It's a small, smaller than SQL Server Express, version of SQL Server which is about 1.5 MB in size and designed to run on client machines like Desktops and Laptops. In otherwords, it seems to be a natural outgrowth of SQL Server Personal edition.
According to the article, SSE is not really a server in the sense that we know the term. It's a bunch of .dll files which store data and run against a small application. It doesn't allow code to run against its database (no xp_cmdshell option, etc.) and has a smaller set of SQL datatypes (no XML, but it does have nchar, nvarchar and ntext). Version 3.1 is due to be release at the end of 2006 for an un-mentioned price and Version 3.5 is due to be shipped out with Visual Studio Orcas.
It does use T-SQL, though the article seems to hint that perhaps it doesn't use quite the same syntax, or maybe it just doesn't have the fully T-SQL functionality, as the SQL Server we've come to know and groan about. It also uses the ADO.NET programming model.
The article mentions how Transactions are important, but doesn't cover whether or not SSE actually has components to make sure your transactions are fully committed or rolled back. It's a little vague when it comes to the important stuff like this.
However, SSE does support side-by-side installations and multiple deployment models. The first is via a traditional MSI install which gets installed once per machine and gets direct servicing from Microsoft Update. The second install is to deploy it as .dlls with your application, in which case Microsoft Update doesn't touch or see SSE.
There's a lot of hype in the article about how wonderful SSE is, but not a lot of DBA relevant details. There seems to be the sense this is an Everyman's version of SQL which doesn't require DBA involvement. My response to this is "Yeah, right. Wait until someone breaks something or enters bad data. Then tell me DBAs won't need to be involved."
Honestly, I haven't looked at the product myself. Though I do plan on downloaded it to my laptop and fiddling with it in the near future. If you feel like taking a look, you can go to
I'd be happy to hear other DBA thoughts on this new product if you've heard about it. I'm sure we'll be getting posts on this forum about it as soon as it gets released, so I believe it would behoove all DBAs to at least know a little something about it.
Catadmin - MCDBA, MCSA
"No, no. Yes. No, I tried that. Yes, both ways. No, I don't know. No again. Are there any more questions?"
-- Xena, "Been There, Done That"
I just heard about it from an article in Dr. Dobb's Journal (December 2006, page 24). It's a small, smaller than SQL Server Express, version of SQL Server which is about 1.5 MB in size and designed to run on client machines like Desktops and Laptops. In otherwords, it seems to be a natural outgrowth of SQL Server Personal edition.
According to the article, SSE is not really a server in the sense that we know the term. It's a bunch of .dll files which store data and run against a small application. It doesn't allow code to run against its database (no xp_cmdshell option, etc.) and has a smaller set of SQL datatypes (no XML, but it does have nchar, nvarchar and ntext). Version 3.1 is due to be release at the end of 2006 for an un-mentioned price and Version 3.5 is due to be shipped out with Visual Studio Orcas.
It does use T-SQL, though the article seems to hint that perhaps it doesn't use quite the same syntax, or maybe it just doesn't have the fully T-SQL functionality, as the SQL Server we've come to know and groan about. It also uses the ADO.NET programming model.
The article mentions how Transactions are important, but doesn't cover whether or not SSE actually has components to make sure your transactions are fully committed or rolled back. It's a little vague when it comes to the important stuff like this.
However, SSE does support side-by-side installations and multiple deployment models. The first is via a traditional MSI install which gets installed once per machine and gets direct servicing from Microsoft Update. The second install is to deploy it as .dlls with your application, in which case Microsoft Update doesn't touch or see SSE.
There's a lot of hype in the article about how wonderful SSE is, but not a lot of DBA relevant details. There seems to be the sense this is an Everyman's version of SQL which doesn't require DBA involvement. My response to this is "Yeah, right. Wait until someone breaks something or enters bad data. Then tell me DBAs won't need to be involved."
Honestly, I haven't looked at the product myself. Though I do plan on downloaded it to my laptop and fiddling with it in the near future. If you feel like taking a look, you can go to
I'd be happy to hear other DBA thoughts on this new product if you've heard about it. I'm sure we'll be getting posts on this forum about it as soon as it gets released, so I believe it would behoove all DBAs to at least know a little something about it.
Catadmin - MCDBA, MCSA
"No, no. Yes. No, I tried that. Yes, both ways. No, I don't know. No again. Are there any more questions?"
-- Xena, "Been There, Done That"
