14 DAY TRIAL // The latest development milestone of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 is now available for download. Ted Kummert, corporate vice president, Data and Storage Platform Division at Microsoft announced since the past week that the company was gearing up for the November Community Technology Preview of SQL Server 2008. Fitting into Microsoft's vision of providing users with access to their data any place and any time, SQL Server 2008 is positioned to bring to the table a range of enhancements, new features as well as support for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, formerly codenamed Longhorn.
"Microsoft SQL Server 2008, the next release of Microsoft SQL Server, provides a comprehensive data platform that is more secure, reliable, manageable and scalable for your mission critical applications, while enabling developers to create new applications that can store and consume any type of data on any device, and enabling all your users to make informed decisions with relevant insights", revealed Nick MacKechnie, Senior Technical Account Manager at Microsoft New Zealand.
The November CTP of SQL Server 2008 is time-bombed and will expire automatically after 180 days, and is designed to integrate with Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2; Windows Vista; Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2008. On top of the operating system, you will also need at least 512 MB of RAM and 675 MB of free hard disk space. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 November 2007 CTP can be downloaded via this link right here on Softpedia.
"This CTP really is jam-packed with new features. We really believe it is going to be an eye opener for a lot of people, not just in terms of the new features that will be included, but how close we are to delivering a final product with high quality. When we think about the importance of SQL Server 2008, it is really about moving ahead with our application platform approach and delivering against the vision of Dynamic IT for organizations. Some key data management and reliability features include compatibility with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 as well as new capabilities such as Resource Governor, Backup Compression and Transparent Data Encryption", Kummert explained.