Microsoft discontinue SQL Server 2000 Support

As Microsoft discontinue their support services and service packs for SQL Server 2000, businesses are now left with the daunting prospect of having no assistance or support directly from Microsoft when it comes to breaks/fix cases.

Although Microsoft will continue to provide security updates until 2012, SQL Server 2000 users may start to feel vulnerable to increased server downtime and other risks. Quantix, one of 20 Strategic Microsoft Partners for BI & Database, has developed a variety of tailored support solutions to help alleviate any concerns over de-support.

For organisations that are looking to upgrade an existing SQL Server database, Quantix can provide full migration support, regardless of whether the next step is SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2008. If your business uses in-house DBA’s, then you can utilise our specialist SQL Server consultants to plug ‘Skills-gaps’ via mentoring programmes or to deliver SQL Server DBA expertise on demand. In addition we can provide a migration planning service that allows you to plan and drive best practice for your SQL Server infrastructure.

In addition to performance monitoring, one of the key building blocks of our support portfolio involves onsite or remote SQL Server health check services. These systematically analyse all areas of your SQL Server environment to ensure systems are secure, optimised and working to best practice. In our view, prevention is certainly better than cure.

Quantix is also an Oracle Certified Advantage Partner, so we have all the skills required to migrate your database from SQL to Oracle should that be an option. Through our Oracle consultancy practice our team of qualified and experienced Oracle specialists can assess your needs and help you make the most out of your Oracle investments.

About Quantix:

Quantix, an Oracle Certified Advantage Partner and Microsoft Gold Partner, specialise in the provision of enterprise applications support and managed services to the Mid Market. Incorporated in 2002, Quantix has seen consistently strong growth in its range of support services and can now lay claim to a managed services contract base of over 4 million. Quantix has a turnover of circa £8m and currently works with over 400 clients across numerous vertical markets, including Finance & Banking, Transport, Public Services, Business Services, Retail, Manufacturing and Telecoms.

SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services or Crystal Report?

SQL Server Reporting Services competes with Crystal Reports and other business intelligence tools, and is included free in Express, Workgroup, Standard, and Enterprise editions of Microsoft SQL Server as an install option.

Over the last 12 months SQL Server Reporting Services has started to make its mark in the Business Intelligence market place. Not only does SQL Server Reporting Services deliver a new reporting tool, but it’s free as well. Suddenly everyone’s looking to ditch Crystal Reports - the report designer which comes bundled with VB and has been since VB 3 and integrated into Visual Studio .Net, but is SQL Server Reporting Service better?

What are the key differences between SQL Server Reporting Services and Crystal Reports, (Crystal Reports version 11). They both have strengths and weaknesses and these are the ones I’ve found, after working with both products, I compared them on what they say they can do and what I found on day one...

So Far...

1. 
   Although Microssoft say it’s free, they don’t recommend the "free" configuration and you will need additional SQL Server licensing before you get started.
2. 
   SQL Server Reporting Service handles less that 80% of the most common reporting scenarios I could come up with and some obvious features expected from a reporting tool are missing and some still have bugs in (these need to be fixed).
3. 
   SQL 2005 reporting services does support ad hoc reports (the designer develops a report schema and deploys it on the reporting server).

I'll keep updating as I complete my testing on SQL Server Reporting Services and Crystal Reports.

In the mean time, if you wish to learn more on SQL Server Reporting Services and how it can benefit your organisation, please visit the Quantix website.