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1. ======= Commentary ==========================================

Using Virtualization to Test SQL Server Express
      by Michael Otey, mikeo@windowsitpro.com

Testing new products to determine whether they’re suitable for your environment and production scenarios isn't easy. Typically, you don't want to install untested software--even if it's live software and not time-bombed demo ware--on your production systems. When you make any changes to your computing platform, new software can sometimes disrupt the existing production environment. Plus, once you install a piece of new software, you might not be able to easily restore the system to its previous state. How many times have you run installations only to find that either the installation or the uninstallation failed, leaving your system a mess, or that the uninstallation didn’t actually remove all of the components that the installation put on your system? Although I've always found the installation and uninstallation procedures for SQL Server 2005 Express to be clean and robust, you never really know what a piece of software will do in your environment until you try it. Virtualization software provides one of the best solutions for testing software.

Virtualization software lets you create a virtual machine (VM) test environment. Better yet, the costs for taking this approach can be nil if you use one of the production-quality virtualization products available from Microsoft and VMware. Microsoft offers two products, Virtual PC 2004 and Virtual Server 2005 Release 2 (R2), which you can download for free. VMware offers its Virtual Server product (formerly GSX Server) for free. If you want to do some lightweight testing of various desktop products, Virtual PC 2004 is the best choice because it’s easy to use and has a straightforward Windows GUI interface. Virtual Server 2005 R2 and VMware Virtual Server are heavy-duty products that include remote (i.e., Web-based) management interfaces capable of supporting server-consolidation scenarios by effectively running multiple VMs simultaneously. In addition, VMware offers VMware Workstation, which is probably the premier desktop testing platform, but that product isn’t free.

After you've downloaded and installed one of the virtualization products, the next step is to create a VM for your test environment. When you create a VM, you’re essentially carving out a space on your system to support the virtualization environment. All of the virtualization products I've mentioned have the same basic requirements.

First, you create a VM by allocating some of your system's physical memory. You can’t allocate more memory than your system has, nor can you allocate all of your system’s memory because your host OS still needs RAM to run. If your system has 1GB of memory, you might allocate 512MB for a VM. Next, you need to allocate space on your disk for the VM's hard disk--known as the Virtual Hard Disk (VHD). The space allocation can be dynamic (meaning it starts small and grows as needed) or fixed (meaning you allocate an amount of space up front). For testing purposes, I recommend using dynamic space allocation. You’ll also want to enable the Undo feature so that you can discard any changes you make to the VM.

Finally, you’ll need to define the virtual network you’re using. To completely avoid the possibility of creating network problems, you can choose "no networking." If you want the VM to access your network, choose the external (aka bridged) option. Now, your VM setup is complete.

You use the console to start the VM. However, something's still missing--the OS. When you start the VM, the system will prompt you to install an OS. You can install an OS either from an ISO image or from your system's CD or DVD drive. One caveat--in most cases, you’ll need a license for the OS you're installing on the VM. After you’ve installed the OS, you can start the VM and run it much like a "real" system except that it's using the resources from your host desktop. If you're using Virtual PC 2004, you'll typically see the application running as a window on your desktop, but you'll also have the option of making the application full screen. At this point, you can install and test software, such as SQL Server 2005 Express, with no worries about affecting your production desktop.

*********** Double-Take Software ******************************

Enhancing SQL Protection: A Case for Asynchronous Replication

Built-in SQL Server data protection features aren’t enough. Learn to use an automated data protection solution that provides 24x7 availability to meet today’s critical business demands.
      http://www.sqlmag.com/go/whitepapers/doubletake/sqlprotection/?code=SQLExpMid0925

2. ==== Features =======================

From the Community

I received the following reader comment about "Jump Start: Scheduling Backups" (in the archives at http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/ArticleID/93621/93621.html).

I thought I should let you know that your recent "Jump Start: Scheduling Backups" article has some errors in it. When you enter the following command in the Run dialog box, the task scheduler doesn't run the backup job because the code isn't correct.

sqlcmd ?s (local)/SQLEXPRESS ?i c:\sqlbackup
      \myMediaBackup.sql -E

However, when you replace the question marks (?) with hyphens (-), the task scheduler does run the backup job.

sqlcmd -S (local)\SQLEXPRESS -i c:\sqlbackup
      \myMediaBackup.sql -E

I enjoy your SQL Server Express UPDATE articles, by the way. I hope that they keep on coming.

-- Terry Grignon

Thank you Terry for your comments and the corrections. Sometimes special characters inadvertently get changed during the newsletter's production process. Thanks again for helping us find and fix this, and I'm glad to hear you enjoy this newsletter.

-- Michael Otey, mikeo@windowsitpro.com

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SQL Server Guide to Clustering Alternatives
      Want the convenience of a server cluster without the expense? Learn about server cluster alternatives that provide high availability, preventative maintenance, and failover capabilities at pricing that fits your budget.
      http://www.sqlmag.com/go//whitepaper/neverfail/sqlclustering/?code=SQLExpHot0925

*************************************************

Check It Out: Virtualization Is Free For All
      by Michael Otey, mikeo@windowsitpro.com

If you're interested in setting up a test environment for SQL Server 2005 Express or any other software, you might want to check out some of the cool (and totally free) virtualization products from Microsoft and VMware.

You can create a virtual machine (VM) on your desktop by downloading Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 at:
      http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/downloads/sp1.mspx

You can create a VM on a Windows server by downloading Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 Release 2 (R2) at:
      http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/virtualserver/software/default.mspx

You can also use VMware Virtual Server to create a VM on a Windows server. You can download the application at:
      http://www.vmware.com/download/server/

3. ==== Resources and Events ===========

Windows Connections Conference
      Now in its seventh year, Windows Connections returns November 6-9, to Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Don't miss your chance to interact with industry experts and hear the latest information about Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000 Server, and Windows XP Professional! Register and attend sessions at Microsoft Exchange Connections FREE!
      http://www.winconnections.com

Oracle and SQL Server... Better Together?
      Learn about optimizing 64-bit database computing, business intelligence for SQL Server and Oracle, high-availability proof points for database computing, and the implications of architectural differences between Oracle and SQL Server. Coming to 12 US cities in September and October. Special price--sign up now for just $49!
      http://www.windowsitpro.com/roadshows/sqloracle/?code=enews0906

Roadmap to Email Archiving and Compliance
      How will compliance regulations affect your IT infrastructure? Help design your retention and retrieval, privacy, and security policies to make sure that your organization is compliant. Download the free eBook today!
      http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/ebooks/sherpa/compliance/?code=0920emailannc

Demystifying Virtualization TCO Improvements
      Total Cost of Ownership--TCO. It's every executive's favorite buzzword, but what does it really mean and how does it affect you? In this podcast, Ben Smith explains how your organization can use virtualization technology to measurably improve the TCO for servers and clients.
      http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/podcast/hp/virtualization/?code=0920emailannc

4. ==== Featured White Paper ============

Streamlining the IT Compliance Life Cycle
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      http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/whitepapers/scalable/compliance?code=0920featwp

===================================

WANTED: Your reviews of products you've tested and used in production. Send your experiences and ratings of products to "whatshot@windowsitpro.com" and get a Best Buy gift certificate.

5. Create Successful Database Solutions
      by Blake Eno, beno@windowsitpro.com

AppDev Products released its latest training course, Microsoft SQL Server 2005, led by authors and instructors Andy Baron and Don Kiely. This course helps you create successful database solutions by teaching you how to create basic queries, effective views, stored procedures, triggers, and user-defined functions (UDFs). You'll also learn about implementing security and Microsoft's new Business Intelligence (BI) suite. AppDev's Microsoft SQL Server 2005 course has more than 90 hours of total training time, including 1100 pages of printable courseware, step-by-step hands-on labs, and sample code.
      http://www.appdev.com

6. ==== Exclusive Email Offers ====

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==== Contact Us ====

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SQL Server Express UPDATE is brought to you by SQL Server Magazine, the only magazine devoted to helping developers and DBAs master new and emerging SQL Server technologies and issues. Subscribe today.
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