Migrate to SQL Server 2008 R2 and Manage

So if you have decided to migrate your SQL Server database to SQL Server 2008 R2, Microsoft TechNet has collected resources for you to easily accomplish the job.

There are many scenarios during an upgrade where you’ll want to migrate a SQL Server installation. We've collected a series of articles and resources that describe the processes and tools to make the task easier.

This set of topics includes information on how to migrate a reporting services installation, how to migrate integration services packages, and how to migrate data transformation services packages.

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Defensive Database Programming (Free eBook)

The goal of Defensive Programming is to produce resilient code that responds gracefully to the unexpected.
To the SQL Server programmer, this means T-SQL code that behaves consistently and predictably in cases of unexpected usage, doesn't break under concurrent loads, and survives predictable changes to database schemas and settings.

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Introduction to SQL Server 2008 R2 Application and Multi-Server Management

A two hour learning clinic is being offered at Microsoft Learning Center. The clinic explores the capabilities of Introduction to SQL Server 2008 R2 Multi-Server Application Management. This will cover the following topics:

• Introducing Application and Multi-server Management
• Working with data-tier applications
• Managing change in data-tier applications.
• Managing data-tier applications.

Users completing this collection should have a basic understanding of SQL Server and relational database systems.
At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Create a Utility Control Point.
• Enroll managed instances.
• Create data-tier applications.
• Deploy and manage data tier applications.

You can find the course details here...

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Free ebook: Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2

I am really thrilled to let you know about another free ebook: Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2, by Ross Mistry and Stacia Misner!
The book contains 10 chapters and 216 pages, like so:

PART I   Database Administration

CHAPTER 1   SQL Server 2008 R2 Editions and Enhancements 3
CHAPTER 2   Multi-Server Administration 21
CHAPTER 3   Data-Tier Applications 41
CHAPTER 4   High Availability and Virtualization Enhancements 63
CHAPTER 5   Consolidation and Monitoring 85 

PART II   Business Intelligence Development

CHAPTER 6   Scalable Data Warehousing 109
CHAPTER 7   Master Data Services 125
CHAPTER 8   Complex Event Processing with StreamInsight 145
CHAPTER 9   Reporting Services Enhancements 165
CHAPTER 10   Self-Service Analysis with PowerPivot 189

Here’s more info about the book:

Introduction

Our purpose in Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 is to point out both
the new and the improved in the latest version of SQL Server. Because this
version is Release 2 (R2) of SQL Server 2008, you might think the changes are
relatively minor—more than a service pack, but not enough to justify an entirely
new version. However, as you read this book, we think you will find that there are a
lot of exciting enhancements and new capabilities engineered into SQL Server 2008 R2
that will have a positive impact on your applications, ranging from improvements
in operation to those in management. It is definitely not a minor release!

You can download the ebook in XPS format here and in PDF format here.

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SQL Server 2008 R2 update finally ships

 Microsoft today released to manufacturing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2, the new version of its relational database management system software.

The software, a major update of the SQL Server 2008 code base, has been in development for almost two years. Thus far, the developer version of the software has been downloaded more than 300,000 times, the company said on Wednesday.

The R2 version updates the SQL Server 2008 in a number of ways, said Mark Linton, director within Microsoft's application platform group.

One notable feature is the scale. A single SQL Server 2008 instance can now be run on up to 256 logical processors. Previously, a SQL Server instance could only scale up to 64 logical processors. It will also run on as much as two terabytes of working memory. This will pave the way for more large scale, enterprise deployments, Linton said.

The software also has been updated to work better in Microsoft's Hyper-Vvirtualized environments. For instance, the virtualized instance of the software can be migrated from one server to another while continuing to run.

The software's administration software has been updated as well. A new feature, called Utility Control Point, enables database administrators to manage the policies of entire farms of SQL Servers from a single console. "Through one control point, you can administrator your entire infrastructure through a standardized set of policies and tools," Linton said.

The software also helps other Microsoft products in providing users with "self-service business intelligence," Linton said. The software can provide live data for a new Microsoft Excel data analysis add-on call PowerPivot, which was designed to manipulate "millions of rows of data" quickly.

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