SQL, .NET and everything Microsoft : Service Packs and SQL

Microsoft launches cumulative package for SQL Server 2005

Sanchan — Sun, 28 May 2006 06:57:00 GMT

Microsoft launched SQL Server 2005 in November, 2005. This build was called the RTM version. In April, 2006, we launched Service Pack 1 which included a lot of new features and fixes for known bugs. Check out my blog here to learn more about SP1. However,...(read more)

ENHANCEMENT - Maintenance Cleanup Task and SP1

Sanchan — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 18:27:00 GMT

Maintenance Cleanup Task is a new feature available in SQL 2005 which can be used to remove files related to Maintenance Plans. You can learn more about it at this article - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms345177(SQL.90).aspx

SQL 2005 RTM (32bit and 64bit)

In SQL Server 2005 RTM, the Maintenance Cleanup Task doesn't allow you to delete maintenance plan files from subfolders. As per BOL:

In contrast to earlier versions of the Maintenance Cleanup task, the SQL Server 2005 version of the task does not delete files in the subdirectories of the specified directory. This constraint reduces the surface area of any attack that may exploit the functionality of the Maintenance Cleanup task to delete files maliciously.

Service Pack 1 Enhancements

However, this limitation means that you have to create a Maintenance Cleanup Task for each file that you want to delete. This could be inconvenient if you have many databases on your server and you back them up under different sub-folders.

With the launch of service pack 1, Microsoft has removed this restriction. Now, you have to check the checkbox against "Include first-level subfolders" in the Maintenance Cleanup Task to delete folders under sub-directories.

This has been highlighted in in the KB http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916940/#EQADAAA

ENHANCEMENT - Database Mail in SQL 2005 64 bit and SP1

Sanchan — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 18:13:00 GMT

Database Mail is a new feature in SQL 2005 that provides enterprise class mailing functionality in SQL 2005 32 bit and 64 bit versions.

SQL Server 2005 RTM x64/IA64

In SQL 2005 RTM x64 and IA64 bit versions, you can use Database Mail features just as you would on 32 bit versions of SQL.

However, on 64 bit, you cannot have SQL Agent interact with Database Mail to send notification of job failure/success etc. This is by design.

This is not the case with 32 bit versions. On SQL Server 2005 32 bit RTM versions, SQLAgent can interact with and use Database Mail subsystem.

Workaround for RTM versions of SQL 2005 x64/IA64

On 64 bit versions of SQL, you can use SQLAgent Mail through a MAPI profile, as documented in this article - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/908360/en-us

Service Pack 1 enhancement

With the launch of Service Pack 1, Microsoft has improved on this functionality.

Now, you can use Database Mail as the mailing system for your SQL Agent on x64/IA64 versions, after applying SP1.

SQL 2005 Service Pack 1 is launched!

Sanchan — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 18:35:00 GMT

Yesterday, Microsoft officially launched Service Pack 1 for SQL 2005.

- Learn about the new features and improvements included in SP1

A ton of new features have been added and a lot of improvements have been made in SP1 for SQL Server 2005.

You can learn more about it at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916940/

- Bugs fixed in SP1

Refer to KB 913090 (http://support.microsoft.com/?id=913090) for the list of bugs that were fixed in SP1.

Note that not ALL bugs that were fixed in SP1 have an associated KB article yet. As pointed out in this KB, you can expect to see more KBs on bugs that were fixed in SP1 in the future.

- Download SP1

You can download SP1 for SQL Server 2005 from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913089/

Note that there is a separate version for SQL Server Express.