14 DAY TRIAL // Hot on the heels of the fourth Service Pack for SQL Server 2005 comes a Feature Pack designed to enable customers to enhance their version of the Microsoft data platform.
Offered through the Microsoft Download Center, Feature Pack for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 SP4 is available free of charge, and essentially brings to the table a collection of resources which customers need to install themselves.
“The Feature Pack is a collection of standalone install packages that provide additional value for SQL Server 2005. It includes:
•Latest versions of redistributable components for SQL Server 2005
•Latest versions of add-on providers for SQL Server 2005
•Latest versions of backward compatibility components for SQL Server 2005,” Microsoft explained.
Just the past week, the software giant released SQL Server 2005 SP4 to manufacturing, also offerings downloads to customers.
In addition, Microsoft also kicked up a notch the Feature Pack which accompanied older releases of SQL Server 2005.
Microsoft emphasizes the fact that the packages have been tailored to specific audiences.
In this regard, the software giant also detailed the users which can leverage Feature Pack items for SQL Server 2005 SP4: customers, partner and developers.
The Redmond company also put together a list with all the components packaged into SQL Server 2005 SP4 RTM Feature Pack:
“- Microsoft ADOMD.NET is a Microsoft .NET Framework object model that enables software developers to create client-side applications that browse metadata and query data stored in Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services.
- Microsoft Core XML Services (MSXML) 6.0 is the latest version of the native XML processing stack. MSXML 6.0 provides standards-conformant implementations of XML 1.0, XML Schema (XSD) 1.0, XPath 1.0, and XSLT 1.0.
- The Microsoft OLE DB Provider for DB2 is a COM component for integrating vital data stored in IBM DB2 databases with new solutions based on Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition and Developer Edition.
- The Microsoft SQL Server Management Pack enables you to monitor SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2000 in an enterprise environment.
- PivotTable Services 8.0 is the OLE DB provider for SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services and is used to connect with an Analysis Services 2000 server.
- The Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Data Transformation Services (DTS) package designer is a design tool used by developers and administrators of SQL Server 2005 servers to edit and maintain existing DTS packages until they can be upgraded or recreated in the SQL Server 2005 Integration Services package format.
- Microsoft SQL Server Native Client (SQL Native Client) is a single dynamic-link library (DLL) containing both the SQL OLE DB provider and SQL ODBC driver.
- The Analysis Services 9.0 OLE DB Provider is a COM component that software developers can use to create client-side applications that browse metadata and query data stored in Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services.
- The SQL Server Backward Compatibility package includes the latest versions of Data Transformation Services 2000 runtime (DTS), SQL Distributed Management Objects (SQL-DMO), Decision Support Objects (DSO), and SQL Virtual Device Interface (SQLVDI).
- The SQLCMD utility allows users to connect, send Transact-SQL batches, and output rowset information from SQL Server 7.0, SQL Server 2000, and SQL Server 2005 instances. SQLCMD is a replacement for ISQL and OSQL, but can coexist with installations that have ISQL or OSQL installed.
- The Data Mining Web Controls Library is a set of Microsoft Windows Forms controls that enable software developers to display data mining models created using Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services in their client-side applications.
- In its continued commitment to interoperability, Microsoft has released and supports a new Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) driver for SQL Server 2005.
- The Management Objects Collection package includes several key elements of the SQL Server 2005 management API, including Analysis Management Objects (AMO), Replication Management Objects (RMO), and SQL Server Management Objects (SMO).
- Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition is the next version of SQL Server Mobile adding the desktop platform. SQL Server Compact extends the SQL Server Mobile technology by offering a low maintenance, compact embedded database for single-user client applications for all Windows platforms including tablet PCs, pocket PCs, smart phones and desktops.
- The SQL Server 2005 Notification Services Client Components package provides client APIs that enable subscription management and event submission within custom applications that include SQL Server 2005 Notification Services functionality.
- Upgrade Advisor analyzes instances of SQL Server 7.0 and SQL Server 2000 in preparation for upgrading to SQL Server 2005.
- SQL Server 2005 includes support for accessing SAP data by using the Microsoft .NET Data Provider for mySAP Business Suite.
- The Reporting Add-In for Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2005 Express includes a ReportViewer control, an integrated report designer, and a comprehensive API that lets you customize run-time functionality.
- The exception message box is a programmatic interface that you can use in your applications for any tasks for which MessageBox may be used.
- The Managed Plug-in API is a Microsoft .NET object model that enables software developers to create plug-in data mining algorithms for SQL Server 2005 by using CLI-compliant languages, such as Visual C# 2.0.
- Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services Add-in for SharePoint Technologies allows you to take advantage of SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 (SP2) report processing and management capabilities in SharePoint.
- Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Data Mining Add-ins for Microsoft Office 2007 allow you take advantage of SQL Server 2005 predictive analytics in Office Excel 2007 and Office Visio 2007.
- The Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Performance Dashboard Reports are a set of Reporting Services report files that run within SQL Server 2005 SP2 Management Studio and later versions.
- The SQL Server 2005 Best Practices Analyzer (BPA) gathers data from Microsoft Windows and SQL Server configuration settings.”
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 4 RTM is available for download here.
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition Service Pack 4 RTM is available for download here.
The new SQL Server 2008 R2 RTM downloads are available here.