Summary

SQL Server 2005 setup is designed to minimize installation failures and improve the overall setup experience. This chapter introduces the concepts related to SQL Server 2005 setup and deployment.

The chapter begins with an overview of SQL Server 2005 editions, giving you the information you need to choose the appropriate edition to suit your needs. The chapter also discusses the hardware and software requirements for SQL Server 2005. The subsequent section lists the improvements made to the setup process itself.

The second part of this chapter discusses the upgrade process. It outlines the issues you should be aware of and describes the Upgrade Advisor tool, to better prepare for upgrading to SQL Server 2005.

Chapter 4, "A Tour of New Features in SQL Server 2005," provides an introduction to the new features introduced in this biggest SQL Server release ever.