2K from 2K5

The Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (had to type it again because I still can't remember its name) can actually manage a SQL Server 2000 instance, as advertised. I tried it out and it seemed to work normally. However, I was unable to connect to the 2K5 instance from the Enterprise Manager (after all these years, I can remember that one, even without typing it out for reference). It gave an error telling me I needed to connect using the MSSMS (consider this a 'synonym' for the new name) or with SMO (SQL Server Management Objects, a scriptable set of objects for managing sql server that live in a DLL somewhere).

Even though I couldn't connect to the 2K5 instance with EM, I was able to connect to it with query analyzer. It's always nice to use a familiar tool when working on a new toy. Speaking of query analyzer, it has shortcut keys you can set up with sql statements. For example, I map the [ctl]+3 key combination to sp_helptext so I can just highight an object name and get the relevant sp_helptext results. I did not see this facility in the MSSMS query window (though you can turn on line numbers, just like basic on a TRS-80; yee-hah!)

Didn't get a chance to do much more playing this time around. The machine I have it installed on switched to Psychic Failover Mode (PFM) and had a network breakdown. It's feeling much better now but, why wait for it to happen in a more permanent manner? I am installing it on another machine where it will live side-by-side with a sql2k instance. I read somewhere that you can do that. If the machine comes back up when it's all said and done, I guess that will be a good sign. It's a dreadfully slow process, the install routine has to spend about 86400 seconds installing the .net 2.0 framework before it actually does anything useful. Microsoft is really keeping up with Sun on this one; .Net will soon have as many versions as Java. As long as we don't get fishing.net and cast.your.net to match java beans and what-not, I guess I can live with it.

I just noticed there are six parentheticals in these three paragraphs (now four paragraphs and seven parentheticals). It appears that staying on topic is not a strong point of SQL2K5. Good thing we can just add more processors and memory.