Question

Which edition of SQL Server 2008 should I install for development purposes?

I’m presuming the developer edition, but…

What I do is (SQL Server 2005 until now):

1. Develop databases to plonk onto our web server (that runs SQL Server Express)
2. Manage and extend these database using the SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio)
3. Develop SQL Server databases as a backend to MS Access apps

OTHER, SECONDARY QUESTIONS:

Can I have SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008 installed on the same dev machine?

The reason for the question is that we are in the process of updating the webserver from a virtual server to a cloud server (Host: http://www.orcsweb.com). And, as all our databases are quite simple, have installed SQL Server Express 2008, so that future upgrades are less abrupt.

Would you expect any disruption in really simple databases by going from SQL Server 2005 to SQL Server 2008?

Answer 1

1). Install Developer Edition (with the caveat, that it has all the Enterprise features, so you might use these and then find they’re not there in Standard Edition…)

2) Yes. Both can be installed but one will need to be a named instance.

3). No. I’d be surprised if there were any problems going from 2005 to 2008.