Get ready for Gemini, Madison, Kilimanjaro…

SQL Server

OK, let’s get into the Microsoft mentality of SQL Server and try to work out what is what for the next release of SQL Server. Most SQL Server users are trying to get to grips with SQL Server 2005 and 2008. Now Microsoft has promised a major release every three years, so that’s 2011, right? Wrong…

Since most customers were not ready for SQL Server 2008, Microsoft has decided to plan for an R2 release In 2010. This will be called SQL Server 2008 R2. Psychologically, this will not be a new major release (so don’t be frightened off) but will be a functional release of significant size. If you catch my drift. So far it is called Project Kilimanjaro.

Microsoft did the R2 thing as part of Windows Server 2003. This is different from a service pack. Service packs are collections of hot fixes and cumulative updates. R2 is a functional release with new features like branch office and virtualization enhancements. It was built on SP1 but was also supported under SP2. It’s a low key release that Microsoft wants to slip under the radar. OK, the positive spin is that new licenses will not be required for the new functionality.

So, instead of releasing everything as part of SQL 11.0 (nicely synchronized as SQL Server 2011), SQL Server 2008 R2 is planned for an early 2010 release. This will include Project Madison and Project Gemini.

Project Madison is the realization of the DATAllegro technology for scale-out technology across multiple servers for large database support into hundreds of terabytes.

Project Gemini is the R2 version of Analysis Services which will integrate with Office 2010 and specifically the new version of Excel as the front-end for the Business Intelligence solution. Excel 2007 is only 17MB as an executable. Excel 2003 was only 10MB. So, by projection Excel 2010 will be estimated to be around 28MB.
But it will offer some cool front-end visualization capabilities including a new cube viewer and extra integration with Sharepoint.

Project Kilimanjaro is the umbrella project for SQL Server 2008 R2 itself. Included here will be more multi-server functionality in terms of policy and performance management.

So the good news is that there is a lot of functionality coming in 2010 for SQL Server without the need for new licenses. So what’s the bad news? Well, there is a lot of functionality coming in 2010 for SQL Server that we need to ramp up on.

I know of a good IT training company…

cheers
Brian

• Microsoft
• gemini
• Kilimanjaro
• madison
• project
• R2
• SQL Server
• SQL Server 2008
• sql server 2011
• ssas