I hope this is the right group for these questions because I need to use
SSMS2008 to connect to my database on the hosting service servers (they
decided to "upgrade" everybody when the hosting service was acquired by new
owners). I understand SSMS2008 is only available as an option when
installing SQL Server 2008. I do not want to buy SQL Server 2008 so if I
download the trial version of SQL Server 2008 can I just install SSMS2008
(presumably yes) --but-- will it time out as trialware?

Secondly, what am I missing if I just downloaded SQL Server Management
Studio Express 2008? I've looked around a bit but is there a comparison
document I can study? Will Express help me manage my SQL Server 2005
database which has been upsized to 2008 by my hosting service provider?
Surely something is missing.

Finally, I only have SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition running locally which
I used to develop the database in the first place. Will I be able to

Hillbilly (nobody (AT) nowhere (DOT) com) writes:
The trial is valid for 180 days, but I don't know for sure whether the
tools expire.

Developer Edition is only 50 USD, so why not get a license?

Else, if you make sure that you install SP3 of SQL 2005, you can
access SQL 2008 from SSMS 2005. As long as you don't play with new
features in SQL 2008 you should be fine.

SSMS Express typically lacks support for features not available in
Express edition. So it may work very well for you. Or you will be
misisng something.

Able to what? :-) Anyway, yes, you can develop on SQL 2005 and deploy
on SQL 2008. You can set your hosted database in compatibility mode 90,
to decrease the risk for behavioural differences.



--
Erland Sommarskog, SQL Server MVP, esquel (AT) sommarskog (DOT) se

Links for SQL Server Books Online:
SQL 2008: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/cc514207.aspx
SQL 2005: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/bb895970.aspx
SQL 2000: http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinf...ons/books.mspx

"Erland Sommarskog" <esquel (AT) sommarskog (DOT) se> wrote

If Dev Edition is still only $50 that is the best strategy. Amazon again or
where? I doubt the new hosting provider is going to support compatibility
mode 90 because they told me to use SSMS2008 in the first place after
responding to a ticket I submitted. Once transferred to new owners I could
no longer access our database --but-- thank you for this setup advice and I
will bring it up to them.

I and everybody on the planet would sure like to see a SQL Server vs SQL
Express feature comparison table. Pass the word.

"Able to what" you ask? That's a remnant of the copy and paste gaff I
explained in response to you scolding me in .tools for posting in two groups
:-)

"Hillbilly" <nobody (AT) nowhere (DOT) com> wrote


There's a whole page full of comparison tables here:
http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2...s-compare.aspx



--
Dan