I am working with SQL 2005 Developer edition and love everything. We are
getting ready to replace the SQL 2000 server with SQL 2005. Will it just
install over the present server and upgrade everything including the data?

Yes, I do plan to run full backups on everything.

Rich

Rich Lawson (nospam (AT) nospam (DOT) com) writes:
There is certainly all reason to use the Upgrade Advisor.

But, yes, in you can run an in-place upgrade, and everything should work
out fine.

Nevertheless, many prefer to install a new instance, maybe on new hardware
and move databases with BACKUP/RESTORE. And there is a point with it:
because of changes in the optimizer you may run into to some queries
suddently running very slow. If you have the old server around, you can
compare query plans which may make it easier to troubleshoot.

Whichever way you go, here is a short checklist:

o After the upgrade, run sp_updatestats on all user databases, as
the old statistics is invalidated in the upgrade. (Applies also if
you restore to a new instance.)

o Set the databases in compatibility mode 90, to get access to all
features in SQL 2005. But before you do this, check with Upgrade
Advisor that you don't have code that requires compat mode 80. Note
that if you incorrectly change to 90, you can easily go back.

o Don't forget to install Service Pack 3 for SQL 2005!


--
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