SQL 2008 is coming…

Introduction

SQL Server 2008 will be released approximately February of 2008, along with a new version of Visual Studio and Windows.

Key Areas

The key areas of SQL2008 are Enterprise Data Platform, Dynamic Development, Beyond Relational Database, and Pervasive InsightThe Enterprise Data Platform grouping, sometimes referred to as the Mission Critical Platform, contains the core SQL Server Engine features and benefits including Data Encryption methods, Resource Management, System Analysis, and Server Management Features. There are several encryption options; the first is called Transparent Data Encryption. In SQL Server 2008, the SQL Engine can encrypt the entire database. This method encrypts all database data and log files for a database. By using this all-encompassing method, all Indexes and Tables are encrypted. Changes to programming applications are not required. The next encryption feature is Backup Encryption. SQL Server 2008 has a method of encrypting backups to prevent data disclosure or tampering. In addition, Restoring of backups can be limited to specific users. Lastly, there are new options for External Key Management. If you are involved with credit card processing or PCI (payment card industry) compliance, SQL 2008 will support Hardware Security Modules (HSM). Hardware Security Modules are third party hardware solutions used to store Keys in a location separate from the data they protect. In addition to the standard auditing of logon / logoffs and permission changes, SQL Server 2008 allows for monitoring of data changes or access. Usually, data compression is associated with general hard disk savings, and with smaller physical files, backup times are reduced. While this holds true for SQL Server Data Compression, the main goal is Fact Table size reduction. The stated advantages for Data Compression include the following:·                     Improves query performance by reducing I/O and increasing buffer-hit rates ·                     Provides compression ratios of 2X to 7X for real DW fact data ·                     Is orthogonal to other features ·                     Is available for both data and indexes According to Microsoft, while using compression will slightly increase CPU usage, overall system performance will be improved because of less IO.  New in SQL Server 2008 is the Resource Governor. The Governor is used to restrict users or groups of users from consuming high levels of resources. Items that can be monitored include CPU bandwidth, timeout waits, execution times, blocking times, and idle times. If a Resource Governor threshold level is reached, the system can trigger an event or stop the process. There are a series of steps involved in utilizing the Resource Governor that will be reviewed in an upcoming article. 

The amount of Performance Counters in SQL Server 2008 has been expanded compared to earlier versions. IO and memory usage counters are just a couple of the items that can be collected to monitor performance. The data collected by the counters is stored in a centralized data warehouse. Microsoft states that running the default set of performance related monitors would consume less than 5% of CPU and memory resources.