It's done! We launched SQL Server 2005, and celebrations around the world have marked the event. I hope many of you reading this column were able to attend one of the more than 100 launch events or get involved in the launch in some other way.All of us on the SQL Server Development Team are proud of the product we've shipped and hope that everyone who uses it is as excited as we are about all the great new things that SQL Server 2005 makes possible. Because SQL Server 2005 is the first new SQL Server version in five years, I'll take the next few months to look at many of the details you need to know to upgrade and take advantage of the product's great new features.

The...