PASS Switzerland has launched a new web site to keep you informed of upcoming events and what is happening in the Community. Interact with you fellow Swiss SQL Server users, and have a say what goes on.

You can become a member for free and it is an official chapter of the world-wide SQL PASS (PASS = Professional Association of SQL Server ). So, if you are a DBA, Developer, or just a IT Professional that uses SQL Server, it is the user group for you.

So get on over to the Swiss PASS chapter here: http://www.sqlpass.ch

 
Thanks to Charley Hanania for his effort towards the Community, and in getting SQL PASS on it’s feet in Switzerland.

On Tuesday 2 December, Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Beta, and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta will be released to TechNet und MSDN for subscribers. On 4 December, Microsoft will also release the Beta to the General Public for download.

The final release of Service Pack 2 is expected in the 1st half of 2009, with the final release date being determined by the feedback received from the beta testers.

The Service Pack contains the following improvements, among others:

Client:

• Inclusion of Windows Search 4.0 for improved indexing performance, broader index scenarios, and manageability of Windows Search 4.0 with Group Policies.
• Integration of the Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless, and support for Bluetooth version 2.1 specification
• Improvements in Graphics relating to problems when High Definition content is viewed
• Setup and Deployment improvements to detect incompatible drivers that will block Service Pack installation
• Service Pack cleanup tool to recover disk space used by previous versions of files updated by Service Pack 2
• Performance improvement when resuming from Hibernate when the wireless connection is no longer available
• Power Management improvements
• Print Spooler performance improvements for Printing
• Previously publically released  Security updates and hotfixes

Server:

• Inclusion of Hyper-V Technology at Hyper-V RTM level
• Backward compatibility with Terminal Server Licensing Keys
• Better manageability of FRS/DFS Console and Storage Manager (Quota Management and File Screening Filter)
• Improved error reporting in DFSR to help identify incorrectly configured deployments that lead to replication failure
• Updated Power Policies driving significant Power Management improvements
• Print Spooler and Print Server performance improvements for Printing
• Previously publically released  Security updates and hotfixes

Your feedback is important to Microsoft, so install Service Pack 2 Beta in an environment where you have the opportunity to test your current hardware and software. Feedback is collected through the Error Reporting Systems.

TechNet links:

http://technet.microsoft.com/windows/dd262148

MSDN Links:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/windows/dd262148

The Offline Virtual Machine Service Tool 2.0 provides a way to automate the process of updating virtual machines running on virtual servers and Hyper-V with the latest operating system updates.

The tool uses “servicing jobs” to manage the update operations based on lists of existing virtual machines stored in VMM

Using Windows Workflow Foundation technology, a servicing job runs snippets of PowerShell scripts to work with virtual machines. For each virtual machine, the servicing job:

• “Wakes” the virtual machine (deploys it to a host and starts it).
• Triggers the appropriate software update cycle (Configuration Manager or WSUS).
• Shuts down the updated virtual machine and returns it to the library.

The tool works with Windows Task Scheduler to determine when to run the servicing job.

The beta version of BizTalk Server 2009 has been released on the Microsoft Connect Site

Primarily, the new features include:

• Web service registry capabilities with support for UDDI (Universal Description Discovery and Integration) Version 3.0
• Support of current Microsoft Platform Technologies (.NET Framework 3.5 SP1; Visual Studio 2008 SP1; Windows Server 2008 and Windows 2008’s Hyper-V Virtualization and Windows 2008’s multi-site failover clustering; and SQL Server 2008)
• RFID support for key industry standards (including LLRP, TDT, TDS, WS Discovery and partial EPCIS support)
• Enhanced service enablement of “edge” devices through BizTalk RFID Mobile
• Enhanced service enablement of applications (through new and enhanced adapters for LOB applications, databases, and legacy/host systems)
• Enhanced interoperability and connectivity support for industry protocols (like SWIFT, EDI, AS2 etc)
• Developer productivity enhancements (support for Team Foundation Server, debugging support for BizTalk Maps (XSLT), pipeline components and XLANG Orchestrations, and enables support for unit testing via Visual Studio Test)
• SOA patterns and best practices guidance to assist our customer’s implementations (ESB guidance)

RTM of the final product is expected during the 1st half of 2009. The Roadmap for BizTalk is available here.

Service Pack 3 for SQL Server 2005 has been Released. It is build # 9.00.4035

SP3 is based on all the fixes up to, and including, SQL Server 2005 SP2 with Cumulative Update 9, plus a few additional features (What's New in SQL Server 2005 SP3)

To see what fixes are included in SP3, see KB 955706

• Download SQL Server 2005 SP3 (for Enterprise, Enterprise Evaluation, Standard, Workgroup, Developer Editions)
• Download SQL Server 2005 Express Edition SP3
• Download SQL Server 2005 Feature Pack Refresh – December 2008
• Download SQL Server 2005 Books Online – December 2008

At the same time, Cumulative Update 11 for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 has been released. It is build # 9.0.3301

CU 11 includes all the fixes released since Service Pack 2, excluding the new features introduced in SP3

• Download SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 Cumulative Update 11

At the same time, Cumulative Update 1 for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 3 has been released.

CU 1 includes all the fixes released in Service Pack 2 CU 10 and CU 11 (SP3 is based on Service Pack 2 CU 9)

• Download SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 3 Cumulative Update 1 (Note: it is KB 959195, not KB 960828 as listed in some places)

Confused?

So we released SP3 which includes fixes up to CU 9, plus a few new features, and at the same time we released CU 11 for SP2 and CU 1 for SP3

CU 1 for SP3 brings SP3 to the same fix level as CU 11 for SP 2. CU 10/11 is intended to be used in situations where a hotfix is needed for an issue, but SP3 has not been approved for deployment in your organization.

So there are your options:

• Install CU 11 for SP 2, but without the new features shipped with SP3
• Install SP 3, but be on the level of CU 9 for SP2, but with the new features shipped with SP3
• Install SP 3 and CU 1 for SP 3 and have all the new features, and all the latest fixes. If you already installed CU 10 or CU 11 for SP2, then installed SP3, you must apply CU 1 for SP3 to have all the CU 10 and CU 11 for SP2 fixes, else you loose out on those fixes.

Cumulative Updates will continue to be issued for SP 2, until SP 2 exits support. A CU package does not replace a service pack and it’s installation is optional, and a CU is not offered through Windows/Microsoft Update or WSUS (Windows Server Update Services)

Service Packs are offered through Windows/Microsoft Update and WSUS.