14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft wrapped up and released the third upgrade to SQL Server 2008. Along with SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 3, customers running this version of the company’s data platform can also download SQL Server 2008 SP3 Express Edition.
As it was the case with SP2, and similar upgrades, SP3 is provided free of charge to all existing SQL Server 2008 customers. Nor will existing users have to ink any additional service contract, according to Abhishek Sinha, program manager SQL Server Sustained Engineering.
The Microsoft Download Center offers Service Pack 3 standalone releases for all flavors of SQL Server 2008, and links are also included at the bottom of this article.
Sinha stresses that customers should not expect a major upgrade from SQL Server 2008 SP3. This particular service pack release is focused more on centralizing all bug fixes and updates for the data platform than on the evolution of SQL Server 2008.
Here are a number of updates in SQL Server 2008 SP3 as highlighted by Sinha:
“• Enhanced upgrade experience from previous versions of SQL Server to SQL Server 2008 SP3. In addition, we have increased the performance & reliability of the setup experience.
• In SQL Server Integration Services logs will now show the total number of rows sent in Data Flows.
• Enhanced warning messages when creating the maintenance plan if the Shrink Database option is enabled.
• Resolving database issue with transparent data encryption enabled and making it available even if certificate is dropped.
• Optimized query outcomes when indexed Spatial Data Type column is referenced by DTA (Database Tuning Advisor).
• Superior user experience with Sequence Functions (e.g Row_Numbers()) in a Parallel execution plan.”
In addition to the changes enumerated above, SQL Server 2008 SP3 also contains fixes for a number of issues that were reported to Microsoft through the company’s customer feedback platforms.
The service pack also includes all the hotfixes that the software giant provided with the four Cumulative Updates issued after the release of SQL Server 2008 SP2.
SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 3 (SP3) RTM is available for download here.