Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Unleashed- P10 ppt

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CHAPTER 2 What’s New in SQL Server 2008
sources. PowerPivot for SharePoint extends SharePoint 2010 and Excel Services to add
server-side processing, collaboration, and document management support for the
PowerPivot workbooks that you publish to SharePoint. Together, the PowerPivot client
add-in and server components provide an end-to-end solution that furthers business intel-
ligence data analysis for Excel users on the workstation and on SharePoint sites.
For more information on PowerPivot, see Chapter 51, “Analysis Services.”
New Reporting Services Features
SQL Server 2008 R2 introduces a number of new features for Reporting Services. The
Reporting Services enhancements are probably the most significant aspect of the R2
release. One of the key changes in SQL Server 2008 R2 is an updated version of the Report
Manager. The SQL Server 2008 R2 Report Manager provides an improved user experience
via interface changes, including an updated color scheme and layout, in an effort to
provide easier navigation for managing report properties and Report Server items.
Following are some of the key enhancements to Report Manager in R2:
. An improved workflow for viewing and managing reports and Report Server items
through the use of a new drop-down menu to access various configuration options
for each report or Report Server item in a folder
. Elimination of the need to render a report before accessing and configuring report
properties when in default view
. Increased screen space for the Report Viewer when rendering reports
. An updated Report Viewer toolbar, which includes some updates to the toolbar con-
trols, as well as the capability to export report data to an Atom service document
and data feeds
The set of new and enhanced features in SQL Server 2008 R2 for Reporting Services includes
. Report parts—You can store these reusable report items on a Report Server or on a
SharePoint site that is integrated with a Report Server.
. Sparklines and data bars—These simple charts convey a lot of information in a
little space, often inline with text.

. Indicators—These minimal gauges convey the state of a single data value at a
glance. Indicators can be used by themselves in dashboards or free-form reports.
. Calculation of aggregates of aggregates—You can now create expressions that
calculate an aggregate of an aggregate.
. Improved report pagination—Reporting Services provides more control over
report pagination including dynamic updating of page names and numbers when a
report is run, as well as disabling page breaks entirely.
. Map reports—Report Designer now provides a Map Wizard and Map Layer Wizard
so that you can add maps and map layers to your report to help visualize data
against a geographic background.
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SQL Server 2008 Enhancements
. Shared datasets—This Report Server feature can retrieve data from shared data
sources that connect to external data sources, providing a way to share a query to
help provide a consistent set of data for multiple reports.
. Cache refresh plans—These plans allow you to cache reports or shared dataset
query results on first use or from a schedule.
. Improved previewing of reports—Report Builder 3.0 provides a better preview
experience with the introduction of edit sessions that enable the reuse of cached
datasets when you are previewing reports, which allows reports to render more
quickly.
For more information on designing and deploying reports using Reporting Services and
more information on the extensive set of new Reporting Services features in R2, see
Chapter 53, “SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services.”
SQL Server 2008 Enhancements
In addition to the brand new features in SQL Server 2008, there are a number of enhance-
ments to existing features provided by SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2. The
following sections provide an overview of the major enhancements.

SQL Server Management Studio
In addition to the new SSMS features discussed previously, SSMS has also received a
number of enhancements in SQL Server 2008; you are now able to do the following:
. Customize the columns displayed by the Object Explorer Details window.
. Display the properties of a selected item from Object Explorer Details at the bottom
of the window.
. View a color-coded status bar at the bottom of the window for Transact-SQL and
MDX code editors which provide information about the editor connection. The
status bar changes color when a code editor opens multiple connections.
. Customize the tab name for items in the title bar of the code editor windows.
. Configure the number of rows returned when you open tables via the Object Browser.
. Create and manage plan guides via the Programmability folder in Object Browser.
Dynamic Management Views
SQL Server 2008 adds five new dynamic management views to return memory-related
information about SQL Server:
. sys.dm_os_memory_brokers—Returns information about memory brokers, the
components that track memory allocations
. sys.dm_os_memory_nodes—Returns memory allocation information for memory
allocated through SQL Server Memory Manager
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CHAPTER 2 What’s New in SQL Server 2008
. sys.dm_os_nodes—Returns information about SQL OS memory nodes, internal
structures of SQL OS that abstract hardware processor locality
. sys.dm_os_process_memory—Returns complete information about memory allo-
cated to SQL Server process space
. sys.dm_os_sys_memory—Describes the memory state for the operation system
In addition, the cpu_ticks_in_ms column in the sys.dm_os_sys_info dynamic manage-

ment view has been discontinued, and two new columns,
sqlserver_start_time_ms_ticks and sqlserver_start_time, have been added.
Database Mirroring
SQL Server 2008 provides a number of enhancements to database mirroring, mostly
related to performance of database mirroring, including compression of the transaction
log records being streamed to the mirror database, asynchronous write-ahead on the
incoming log stream and read-ahead during the undo phase, and improved use of the log
send buffers. For more information on database mirroring and the improvements, see
Chapter 20, “Database Mirroring.”
SQLCLR Enhancements
SQL Server 2008 extends the SQLCLR by extending the 8KB size limit for CLR user-defined
types and CLR user-defined aggregates, supporting the definition of ordered table-valued
functions, providing support for multiple input parameters for user-defined aggregates,
and including the option to define static methods as user-defined functions.
For more information on the enhancements to SQL CLR, see Chapter 46, “Creating .NET
CLR Objects in SQL Server 2008.”
Replication Enhancements
SQL Server 2008 introduces a number of usability and manageability enhancements for
peer-to-peer replication and the Replication Monitor.
Peer-to-peer replication includes the following significant usability and manageability
improvements:
. A new option, enabled by default, that allows the Distribution Agent to detect
conflicts during synchronization and to stop applying changes at the affected row.
. The capability to add nodes to a replication topology without quiescing the topology.
. The capability to configure a topology visually in the Configure Peer-to-Peer
Topology Wizard. The Topology Viewer enables you to perform common configura-
tion tasks, such as adding new nodes, deleting nodes, and adding new connections
between existing nodes.
The Replication Monitor includes the following usability improvements:
. Most of the Replication Monitor grids allow you to specify which columns to view,

sort by multiple columns, and filter rows in the grid based on column values.
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SQL Server 2008 Enhancements
. The Common Jobs tab for the Publisher node has been renamed to Agents.
. The single Warnings and Agents tab for the publication node has been split into sep-
arate Warnings and Agents tabs to emphasize the difference between administering
performance warnings and monitoring replication agents.
For more information on configuring and using replication in SQL Server 2008, see
Chapter 19, “Replication.”
SQL Server Integration Services Enhancements
Integration Services in SQL Server 2008 received enhancements and improvements as well.
Following are some of these enhancements:
. Improvements in the parallel execution of data flow pipeline paths on multiproces-
sor systems, going beyond the SQL Server 2005 limit of two engines.
. A new script environment. Visual Studio for Applications (VSA) has been replaced
with Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA). VSTA allows the development of
scripts written on Visual C# and Visual Basic, providing support for the Script Task
and Script Component. VSTA also supports debugging and adding managed assem-
blies to a script at design time.
. Increased performance and improved caching options for Lookup Transformations.
. Data profiling to improve data quality by identifying potential data quality problems.
. Support for the new Change Data Capture feature in SQL Server 2008, providing an
effective method for performing incremental data loads from source tables to data
marts and data warehouses.
For more information on using SQL Server Integration Services in SQL Server 2008, see
Chapter 52, “SQL Server Integration Services.”
Service Broker Enhancements
SQL Server 2008 provides the following enhancements to Service Broker:

. Support for conversation priorities. This support allows administrators and develop-
ers to specify that messages for important Service Broker conversations are sent and
received before messages from less important conversations to ensure that low-prior-
ity work does not block higher-priority work.
. The new ssbdiagnose command-prompt utility to analyze and diagnose Service
Broker configurations and conversations.
. A new performance object and counters that report how often Service Broker dialogs
request transmission objects and how often inactive transmission objects are written
to work tables in tempdb.
. Support for Service Broker in SQL Server Management Studio via new Service Broker
Elements in Object Explorer.
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CHAPTER 2 What’s New in SQL Server 2008
For more information on the new features and capabilities of Service Broker, see Chapter
49.
Analysis Services Enhancements
SQL Server 2008 also introduces some new features and enhancements to Analysis
Services. Following are some of the primary improvements:
. A new Aggregation Designer makes it easier to browse and modify aggregation designs.
. Aggregation design and usage-based optimization wizards have been simplified
and enhanced.
. New AMO warning messages alert users when they depart from design best practices
or make logical errors in database design.
. Simplified and enhanced cube and dimension wizards help you create better cubes
and dimensions in fewer steps.
. A new Attribute Relationship designer makes it easier to browse and modify attribute
relationships.

. A new Key Columns dialog box makes editing key columns easier.
. Key columns can now be edited in the Properties panel.
. An updated Dimension Structure tab helps make modifying attributes and hierar-
chies easier.
. A new storage structure is available and performance has been enhanced in all
backup and restore scenarios.
. When creating a mining structure, you can now divide the data in the mining struc-
ture into training and testing sets.
. You can now attach filters to a mining model and apply the filter during both train -
ing and testing. Applying a filter to the model lets you control the data used to train
the model and lets you more easily assess the performance of the model on subsets
of the data.
. Cross-validation is now available in the Mining Accuracy Chart view of the Data
Mining Designer.
. SQL Server 2008 supports the creation, management, and use of data mining models
from Microsoft Excel when you use the SQL Server 2008 Data Mining add-ins for
Office 2007.
. You are able to add aliases to columns in a mining model to make it easier to under-
stand column content and reference the column in DMX statements.
For more information on the new features and capabilities of SQL Server Analysis Services
(SSAS), see Chapter 51.
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SQL Server 2008 Enhancements
Installation Enhancements
Starting with SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1, you can now perform slipstream installa-
tions of SQL Server 2008. Slipstream is the integration of the original installation media
files with a service pack and/or a cumulative update so that they can be installed in a
single step.

SQL Server 2008 also provides the capability to selectively uninstall cumulative updates
and/or service packs via the Programs and Features control panel.
For more information on installing and upgrading SQL Server 2008, see Chapters 8,
“Installing SQL Server 2008,” and 9, “Upgrading to SQL Server 2008.”
Deprecated Features
In addition to the new and enhanced features in SQL Server 2008, it’s important to note
the features for which support has been discontinued. Table 2.1 lists the
unsupported/deprecated features along with their replacements, if any.
2
To help keep track of deprecated features so that you can identify potential future upgrade
and compatibility problems, SQL Server 2008 provides the SQL Server: Deprecated Features
performance counter and the Deprecation Announcement and Deprecation Final Support
event classes, which you can monitor via SQL Server Profiler or SQL Trace.
TABLE 2.1 Deprecated Features in SQL Server 2008
Deprecated Feature Replacement
sp_addalias None
DUMP and LOAD statements BACKUP and RESTORE
BACKUP LOG WITH NO_LOG and BACKUP LOG
WITH TRUNCATE_ONLY
None; however, changing the database to simple
recovery clears the transaction log
BACKUP TRANSACTION BACKUP LOG
sp_helpdevice sys.backupdevices catalog view
60, 65, and 70 compatibility levels Support is provided only for compatibility levels
80 and higher
User groups (sp_addgroup,
sp_changegroup, sp_dropgroup,
sp_helpgroup)
Roles
Northwind and pubs databases AdventureWorks database

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Summary
SQL Server 2008 provides a number of new and long-awaited features and enhancements.
This chapter provides an overview of the new features and enhancements that ship with
SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2. To learn more, refer to the other chapters refer-
enced here.
However, before we get into covering the features and capabilities of SQL Server 2008 and
SQL Server 2008 R2, we’ll first take a look at some real-world production implementations
of SQL Server to give you an idea of what is possible with SQL Server in both the online
transaction processing (OLTP) world and in the decision support systems (DSS)/business
intelligence (BI) realms.
CHAPTER 2 What’s New in SQL Server 2008
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CHAPTER 3
Examples of SQL Server
Implementations
IN THIS CHAPTER
. Application Terms
. OLTP Application Examples
. DSS Application Examples
As you will see in this chapter, companies use SQL Server
for many types of applications and on most tiers now. Gone
are the days when you would second guess yourself choos-
ing to use SQL Server over a competing database engine
(such as Oracle or DB2 on a UNIX platform) to ensure you
got optimal transactional throughput, high availability, and
the highest performance. In fact, SQL Server outnumbers

both of these database vendors in installed sites globally.
Microsoft SQL Server has arrived!
The SQL Server Unleashed team has gathered a few showcase
SQL Server–based applications to give you an example of
what is possible with SQL Server in both the online transac-
tion processing (OLTP) world and in the decision support
systems (DSS)/business intelligence (BI) realms. Each
example in this chapter comes from real-life database appli-
cations running in production environments at major orga-
nizations around the world. In general, all the examples in
this book come from our direct customer experiences. We
often translate those real-life customer implementations
into
AdventureWorks2008 or bigpubs2008 database terms so
that you can easily re-create them for your own use.
This chapter describes two OLTP applications: one is a tradi-
tional ERP system using SQL Server as the database layer,
and the other is an online shopping system with shopping
carts and both high-availability and high-performance
requirements.
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CHAPTER 3 Examples of SQL Server Implementations
On the DSS/BI side, this chapter presents a traditional conformed-dimension star schema
data warehouse implementation for a high-tech company and then shows you what this
looks like implemented as an online analytical processing (OLAP) cube created by Analysis
Services.
Under the DSS/BI examples, this chapter describes a hybrid distributed reporting example
that uses multiple SQL Server technologies to get the most out of a complex application

environment in the healthcare industry.
Application Terms
Online transaction processing, or OLTP, is a class of applications that facilitate and
manage transaction-oriented processing, typically for data entry, complex business
processes (such as order entry), and retrieval transactions. The term transaction in the
context of computer or database transactions is a finite set of changes that are grouped
together and can be undone together if any one piece does not complete (or fails). Often,
however, we speak of transactions as a business “unit of work” that can span multiple
database transactions as one logical business transaction. The term OLTP has also been
used to refer to processing in which the system responds immediately to user requests. An
automated teller machine (ATM) application for a bank is a classic example of this type of
OLTP transaction.
In many applications, efficient OLTP applications may depend on sophisticated transac-
tion management software and/or database optimization tactics to facilitate the processing
of large numbers of concurrent users and updates to an OLTP-oriented database. In a
geographic-distributed database system, OLTP brokering programs are used to distribute
transaction processing among multiple computers on a network. These days, central OLTP
is often underneath the covers and integrated into most service-oriented architectures
(SOAs) and exposed as web services that can be easily orchestrated for different application
functionality.
Decision support systems (DSS) have been around since the late 1960s, beginning with
model-driven DSS and running the gamut of financial planning systems, spreadsheets,
and massive multidimensional databases more recently. We speak of data warehouses, data
marts, executive information systems, OLAP cubes, and business intelligence when refer-
ring to DSS. All enable complex decision support capabilities, multidimensional data
analysis, online analytical processing, business intelligence, spatial DSS, and complex
querying and reporting capabilities.
DSS system categories are
. Data analysis systems that support the manipulation, aggregation, and transforma-
tion of data for a specific task or purpose

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OLTP Application Examples
. Pure analysis information systems that enable a series of decision-oriented databases
and small models
. Complex accounting and financial models that calculate and forecast behavior based
on business events and financial results
. Predictive models that estimate the consequences of actions on the basis of simula-
tion models
. Optimization models that provide insight and possible actions a business can take
by generating an optimal solution consistent with a series of constraints
Microsoft has the capability to fully address the first three types and is only now ventur-
ing into predictive and optimization modeling. The examples in this chapter illustrate a
classic data warehouse (star schema/snowflake, multidimensional, measures/facts), a small
distributed data mart, and an OLAP cube.
For each example in this chapter, we try to describe the overall purpose of the application,
the major use cases, and the technology and architecture on which they were deployed.
Where appropriate, we might showcase a data model diagram, a relational schema, or a
distributed topology that gives you some insight into why the implementation was done a
specific way. You are likely to recognize some use cases that may be the same in your envi-
ronment and therefore possibly apply the same techniques or solutions to serve you as
well.
OLTP Application Examples
The following sections describe what the major Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) vendor
SAP AG has implemented using SQL Server for its database layer.
OLTP ERP Example
SAP business solutions are composed of a comprehensive range of products that empower
an enterprise with a flexible, end-to-end solution. A critical challenge in implementing an
SAP solution is the selection of a data platform to deliver the advanced features and capa-

bilities needed to support the most demanding workloads. The Microsoft SQL Server data-
base software (either SQL Server 2008 or SQL Server 2005) is the relational database
management system (RDBMS) of choice for deploying secure, reliable, highly available,
high-performing, and scalable SAP installations. Plus, SQL Server high-availability features
can minimize downtime for any SAP implementation.
The company’s flagship applications are the NetWeaver-based SAP ERP/Business Suites and
SAP R/3 industry solutions. Since 1993, SAP and Microsoft have been working together to
provide a deeply integrated Microsoft platform with SAP solutions. Microsoft is currently
3
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