Editions and Components of SQL Server 2005

SQL Server Setup

Updated: 14 April 2006

Installation requirements can vary widely, depending on your application needs. The different editions of SQL Server 2005 accommodate the unique performance, runtime, and price requirements of organizations and individuals. Which of the various SQL Server 2005 components you install will also depend on your organization or individual needs. The following sections help you understand how to make the best choice among the editions and components available in SQL Server 2005.

Deciding Among SQL Server 2005 Editions

You can use all editions of SQL Server 2005 in production environments except for SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition and SQL Server 2005 Evaluation Edition. The following paragraphs describe the editions of SQL Server 2005.

SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition (32-bit and 64-bit)

Enterprise Edition scales to the performance levels required to support the largest enterprise online transaction processing (OLTP), highly complex data analysis, data warehousing systems, and Web sites. Enterprise Edition’s comprehensive business intelligence and analytics capabilities and its high availability features such as failover clustering allow it to handle the most mission critical enterprise workloads. Enterprise Edition is the most comprehensive edition of SQL Server and is ideal for the largest organizations and the most complex requirements.

SQL Server 2005 Evaluation Edition (32-bit and 64-bit)

SQL Server 2005 is also available in a 180-day Evaluation Edition for 32-bit or 64-bit platforms. SQL Server Evaluation Edition supports the same feature set as SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition. You can upgrade SQL Server Evaluation Edition for production use.

SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition (32-bit and 64-bit)

SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition is the data management and analysis platform for small- and medium-sized organizations. It includes the essential functionality needed for e-commerce, data warehousing, and line-of-business solutions. Standard Edition’s integrated business intelligence and high availability features provide organizations with the essential capabilities needed to support their operations. SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition is ideal for the small- to medium-sized organization that needs a complete data management and analysis platform.

SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition (32-bit only)

SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition is the data management solution for small organizations that need a database with no limits on size or number of users. SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition can serve as a front-end Web server, or for departmental or branch office operations. It includes the core database features of the SQL Server product line, and is easily upgradeable to SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition or SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition. SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition is an ideal entry-level database that is reliable, robust, and easy-to-manage.

SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition (32-bit and 64-bit)

SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition lets developers build any type of application on top of SQL Server. It includes all of the functionality of SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition, but is licensed for use as a development and test system, not as a production server. SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition is an ideal choice for independent software vendors (ISVs), consultants, system integrators, solution providers, and corporate developers who build and test applications. You can upgrade SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition for production use.

SQL Server 2005 Express Edition (32-bit only)

The SQL Server Express database platform is based on SQL Server 2005. It is also a replacement for Microsoft Desktop Engine (MSDE). Integrated with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005, SQL Server Express makes it easy to develop data-driven applications that are rich in capability, secure in storage, and fast to deploy.

SQL Server Express is free and can be redistributed (subject to agreement), and functions as the client database, as well as a basic server database. SQL Server Express is an ideal choice for independent software vendors (ISVs), server users, non-professional developers, Web application developers, Web site hosts, and hobbyists building client applications. If you need more advanced database features, SQL Server Express can be seamlessly upgraded to more sophisticated versions of SQL Server.

SQL Server Express also offers additional components that are available as part of SQL Server 2005 Express Edition with Advanced Services (SQL Server Express). In addition to the features of SQL Server Express, SQL Server Express with Advanced Services contains the following features:

  • SQL Server Management Studio Express (SSMSE), a subset of SQL Server Management Studio.
  • Support for full-text catalogs.
  • Support for viewing reports via Reporting Services.
SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition (32-bit only)

SQL Server Compact Edition is the compact database that extends enterprise data management capabilities to devices. SQL Server Compact Edition is capable of replicating data with SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2000, letting users maintain a mobile data store that is synchronized with the primary database. SQL Server Compact Edition is the only SQL Server edition that provides relational database management capabilities for smart devices.

SQL Server 2005 Runtime Edition (32-bit and 64-bit)

SQL Server 2005 Runtime Edition is offered through the Microsoft ISV Royalty Program. Under the end user license agreement for SQL Server 2005 Runtime Edition, an independent software vendor (ISV) may embed SQL Server code into their solution provided that the customer does not use the SQL Server code to run any other application, or use the SQL Server code in any other context. For more information about SQL Server Runtime Edition, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article “How to obtain the SQL Server Runtime license” (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917400).

Using SQL Server 2005 with an Internet Server

On an Internet server, such as a server running Internet Information Services (IIS), you will typically install the SQL Server 2005 client tools. Client tools include the client connectivity components used by an application connecting to an instance of SQL Server.

Note:
Although you can install an instance of SQL Server on a computer running IIS, this is typically done only for small Web sites that have a single server computer. Most Web sites have their middle-tier IIS systems on one server or cluster of servers, and their databases on a separate server or federation of servers. SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services is typically installed on the middle-tier. For more information about software requirements for Reporting Services, see Hardware and Software Requirements for Installing SQL Server 2005. For more information about federations, see the Federated Database Servers topic in SQL Server 2005 Books Online.

Using SQL Server 2005 with Client/Server Applications

You can install just the SQL Server 2005 client components on a computer running client/server applications that connect directly to an instance of SQL Server. A client components installation is also a good option if you administer an instance of SQL Server on a database server, or if you plan to develop SQL Server applications.

The client components option installs the following SQL Server features: Command prompt tools, Reporting Services tools, connectivity components, programming models, management tools, development tools, Books Online, sample databases, and sample applications. For more information, see How to: Install SQL Server 2005 (Setup).

Deciding Among SQL Server 2005 Components

Use the Feature Selection page of the SQL Server Installation Wizard to select the components to include in an installation of SQL Server 2005. None of the features in the tree are selected by default.

Use the following descriptions to determine the set of features that meets your needs.

Server components Description

SQL Server Database Engine

Database Engine includes the Database Engine, the core service for storing, processing, and securing data, Replication, Full-text Search, and tools for managing relational and XML data.

Analysis Services

Analysis Services includes the tools for creating and managing online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining applications.

Reporting Services 1,2

Reporting Services includes server and client components for creating, managing, and deploying tabular, matrix, graphical, and free-form reports. Reporting Services is also an extensible platform that you can use to develop report applications.

Notification Services

Notification Services is a platform for developing and deploying applications that send personalized, timely information to subscribers on a variety of devices.

Integration Services

Integration Services is a set of graphical tools and programmable objects for moving, copying, and transforming data.

1 Internet Information Services (IIS) 5.0 or higher is required for Reporting Services installations.

2 Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 Service Pack (SP) 1 is required for the Report Designer component of Reporting Services.

Client components Description

Connectivity Components

Installs components for communication between clients and servers, and network libraries for DB-Library, ODBC, and OLE DB.

Management tools Description

SQL Server Management Studio 1

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), new in Microsoft SQL Server 2005, is an integrated environment for accessing, configuring, managing, administering, and developing all components of SQL Server. SSMS combines the features of Enterprise Manager, Query Analyzer, and Analysis Manager, included in previous releases of SQL Server, into a single environment that provides SQL Server access to developers and administrators of all skill levels.

SQL Server Configuration Manager

SQL Server Configuration Manager provides basic configuration management for SQL Server services, server protocols, client protocols, and client aliases.

SQL Server Profiler

SQL Server Profiler provides a graphical user interface for monitoring an instance of the Database Engine or an instance of Analysis Services.

Database Engine Tuning Advisor

Database Engine Tuning Advisor helps create optimal sets of indexes, indexed views, and partitions.

1 Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 is required for SQL Server Management Studio installations.

Development Tools Description

Business Intelligence Development Studio 1

The Business Intelligence Development Studio is an integrated development environment for Analysis Services, Reporting Services, and Integration Services solutions.

1 Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 is required for Business Intelligence Development Studio installations.

Documentation and Samples Description

SQL Server Books Online

Core documentation for SQL Server 2005.

SQL Server Samples

Provides sample code and sample applications for the Database Engine, Analysis Services, Reporting Services, and Integration Services.

Change History

Release History

17 July 2006

Changed content:
  • Added SQL Server Runtime to the list of SQL Server 2005 editions.

14 April 2006

Changed content:
  • Updated the length of the trial period for SQL Server 2005 Evaluation Edition from 120 to 180 days.
  • Revised the list of SQL Server 2005 editions that can be used in production environments: only Developer Edition and Evaluation Edition cannot be used in production environments.

See Also