Chapter 2: Installing and Setting Up Your Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Development Environment

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

• Install Microsoft SQL Server 2005

• Evaluate different versions of Microsoft SQL Server 2005

Using a Virtual PC

The hardware requirements for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 are covered in the Introduction of this book. But as you begin installing and setting up your SQL Server development environment, you might want to consider using a virtual PC. Using virtual machines allows you to define a well-controlled environment without changing your normal configuration. With a vitual PC, you can manage different platforms with different database versions or development environments in a very safe way.

When using a virtual PC, consider at least 400 MB of extra RAM in the host; that is, you need this amount plus the required amount for running the virtual PC machine. Ideally, a good hardware configuration includes at least 2 GB of RAM to allow you to run more than one vitual PC at the same time. Note that you must add this configuration in addition to any other requirements for other tools, such as development tools, or other services, such as the operating system.

Operating System Requirements for Development of SQL Server Database Applications

Once you have the appropriate hardware to run SQL Server 2005, you must choose the proper operating system. SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition will run on Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional or Microsoft Windows Server with Service Pack 4 or higher. Alternatively, you can use Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition with Service Pack 2 or Microsoft Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1. If you are connected to a company network, a SQL Server may already be installed for development purposes. In this case, you only need to install the client tools to manage your development. These client tools can be installed in Microsoft Windows 95 or any other higher operating system version.

Although SQL Server 2005 will work with all of these operating systems, Windows XP Professional provides the most stable and secure environment for developing databases with SQL Server, especially if you plan to use all of the services and technologies SQL Server 2005 offers.

When setting up SQL Server 2005, it may be helpful to join a Windows domain. This will allow you to properly test all of the security implementations you will need for your applications. If your development requires more than one SQL Server, being joined to a domain may be essential for testing server delegation or linked server implementations . However, if you work in an independent workstation, you still can use local integrated security for your development. Moreover, in some cases, having the appropriate hardware will allow you to use virtual machines to define the domain and create a test environment that closely matches the production environment.