Chapter 2: SQL Server 2005 Installation Best Practices

Overview

SQL Server is relatively easy to install. You can put the CD or DVD into the drive, in most cases click straight though, and you'll get a running, useful install. Several decisions are made by default as you click through, however. In this chapter, you learn about those decisions and discover the related gotchas and how to avoid them.

The installation process should be something like this:

• Plan the system.

• Get the hardware and software.

• Install the operating system and service packs.

• Setup the IO subsystem.

• Install SQL Server and service packs.

• Burn in the system.

• Do post-install configurations if necessary.

• Clean up for deployment and go!

We will focus our attention on the plan and the actual install.