Deploying solutions is easy with MSDE
The Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE) makes SQL Server technology available in development contexts that were previously restricted to the Jet database engine. This new database engine, which ships with all versions of Office 2000 that contain Access 2000, falls between SQL Server and Jet in size and power as a compelling new option. MSDE appeared initially during the Office 2000 beta testing, but Microsoft announced its availability to Visual Studio 6.0 developers during Tech Ed 99. Developers can distribute MSDE-based solutions royalty-free. This article focuses on how MSDE compares with and works with the other Microsoft database engines.
Overview of MSDE Technologies
Microsoft refers to MSDE as a technology rather than a product. Two versions ship with Microsoft Office 2000: One has a user interface through Access projects, and the other is a redistributable version for custom solutions. The developer interface of MSDE for Visual Studio 6.0 looks different from that of the MSDE in Office 2000. And, Visual Studio lets you deploy custom solutions with a redistributable MSDE version. Also, Microsoft released Service Pack 1 (SP1) for SQL Server 7.0 and MSDE 1.0, a bug fix that resolves many problems related to core database operation—including OLAP Services—associated with the Office 2000 and Visual Studio MSDE offerings. (For more on the bug fixes in SP1, see Andrey Kruchkov, "What's in SQL Server 7.0 Service Pack 1," August 1999.) Although it isn't technically a different implementation, the service pack improves the operation of MSDE.
All versions of Office 2000, Professional Edition and above, contain the MSDE version that works with Access projects and is appropriate for developing and using custom database solutions. The rapid application-development interface for Access projects resembles the one for .mdb files. This version's admin- istration features for backing up and restoring databases and for administering database security also make it well suited for designing applications.
For developing and using solutions, client workstations must have Office 2000 Professional Edition (or higher) installed and must have a connection to an MSDE server, either on the workstation or over a LAN. And you must install a database on the server that supports the custom application.
The redistributable MSDE version is available exclusively through the Microsoft Office 2000 Developer Edition (MOD). This version permits royalty-free distribution of MSDE as part of custom solutions. The redistributable version doesn't have hooks into the Access Project user interface; developers determine this version's look and feel in custom solutions through their own forms. And the redistributable MSDE version has a different installation procedure from the version that has special hooks for the Access Project interface.
MSDE for Visual Studio 6.0 includes three products: a SQL Server 7.0 Developer Edition, the redistributable MSDE, and Windows NT SP4. MSDE runs as is on Windows 9x computers, but it requires SP4 or later to operate on NT computers. MSDE components don't ship with Visual Studio 6.0 (or standalone versions of any of its constituent packages, such as the Professional edition of Visual C++). The SQL Server 7.0 Developer Edition offers the Enterprise Manager interface for administering databases and creating database objects, but this edition's license doesn't permit its distribution with custom solutions. Visual Studio's Package and Deployment Wizard supports distribution of the redistributable MSDE.
The SQL Server 7.0 SP1 works for SQL Server 7.0 and MSDE 1.0. It implements 56 fixes related to core database engine operation features and OLAP Services. The service pack setup program automatically detects whether MSDE or SQL Server is running on the local computer and applies the appropriate fixes.
Comparing MSDE to Jet and SQL Server
Table 1, page 20, compares the MSDE, Jet, and SQL Server engines on selected features that relate to scalability, cost, and ease of use. Note that the three database options differ on many more features not covered here.
MSDE can replace Jet in many contexts. (An example of an exception is that machines with few system resources wouldn't support MSDE well because of its greater resource requirements. Also, Jet 4.0, the version shipping with Access 2000, has superior backward compatibility compared with MSDE.) Four features in particular differentiate MSDE from Jet. First, MSDE eliminates the need to use the Access Upsizing Wizard for transferring custom applications to SQL Server; MSDE databases are already fully compliant with SQL Server technology. Second, MSDE supports NT and Windows 2000 (Win2K) integrated security, but Jet offers only password or user-level security. Third, MSDE scales to two concurrent processors on NT and Win2K computers, but Jet doesn't scale with the number of processors on a server. Fourth, MSDE is a client/server database with a true database engine, but Jet is a file database without an engine.
You can also compare MSDE and SQL Server to decide which database engine to choose for a project. Two considerations that have an impact on the cost of deploying solutions are the requirement for a Client Access License (CAL) and any related server license fee. A CAL is necessary only if your application connects to a SQL Server directly or through MSDE. SQL Server, however, offers the potential for greater scalability through its support for up to 32 processors and multiple terabytes of data. MSDE shares with Jet a database file size limit of 2GB, and MSDE's processor scalability is substantially less than SQL Server's.
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