SQL Server 2008 Express now available for download
On the heels of SQL Server 2008 being released to manufacturing last week, SQL Server 2008 Express was made available for download today. As with SQL Server 2005 Express, SQL Server 2008 Express will be released in stages. SQL Server 2008 with Advanced Services and the new SQL Server 2008 Express with Tools edition will be made available in coming weeks.
SQL Server 2008 Express with Tools includes the core database engine and SQL Server Management Studio Basic. This is the ideal edition for people that want the essential tools for developing relational database applications. Advanced features such as Integrated Full Text Search, Reporting Services and BIDS will be available in SQL Server 2008 Express Advanced.
Resource Links
Prerequisites
Overview
- SQL Server 2008 Express (for Advanced users)
- SQL Server database engine - Create, store, update and retrieve your data
- Available: Now
- SQL Server 2008 Express with Tools (Recommended - New)
- SQL Server database engine - Create, store, update and retrieve your data
- SQL Server Management Studio Basic - Visual database management tool for creating, editing and managing databases
- Available: End of August 2008
- SQL Server 2008 Express with Advanced Services (for Advanced users)
- SQL Server database engine - Create, store, update and retrieve your data
- SQL Server Management Studio Basic - Visual database management tool for creating, editing and managing databases
- Full-text Search - Powerful, high-speed engine for searching text-intensive data
- Reporting Services - Integrated report creation and design environment to create reports
- Available: End of August 2008
| Feature | SQL Server 2008 Express | SQL Server 2008 Express with Tools | SQL Server 2008
Express with
Advanced Services |
| Tools & Management | | | |
| PowerShell Integration | 
(Separate installation)* |
|
|
| Policy Based Management | (Manual only)** | (Manual only)* | (Manual only)** |
| Import/Export Wizard | | | |
| Management Studio Basic |
| |
|
| SQL Engine | | | |
| Integrated Full Text Search |
|
| |
| Merge & Upsert | | | |
| New Data type support | | | |
| Filestream support | | | |
| New Date & Time data types | | | |
| Geodetic data types | | | |
| Advanced Spatial Libraries | | | |
| Support for Spatial Standards | | | |
| Replication | | | |
| Change Tracking | | | |
| Synchronization Services | (Separate installation)*** | | |
| Reporting Services | | | |
| Increase RS Memory Limit | | | |
| RS Word/Rich Text Export | | | |
| IIS Agnostic Report Deployment | | | |
| Enhanced Gauges & Charting | | | |
| Business Intelligence Developer's Studio | | | |
| Size & Architectures | | | |
| Approximate download sizes | 55MB | 110MB | 570MB |
32-bit installer
(x86 platforms only) | | | |
64-bit installer
(x64 platforms only) | |
|
|
| Prerequisites | | | |
| .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 |
|
| |
| Windows Installer 4.5 |
|
|
|
| Windows PowerShell 1.0 | |
| |
Notes:
* The SqlPS command line tool can be enabled in SQL Server 2008 Express by installing Windows PowerShell 1.0 before installing SQL Server 2008 Express.
** Policies can be created in SQL Server 2008 Express and run manually. There is no support for automated policy based management.
*** Synchronization Services support in SQL Server 2008 Express requires that you install the component separately from the SQL Server 2008 Feature Pack.
