When Microsoft first introduced MSDE
1.0, it was called Microsoft Data Engine and it shared the same code
base as SQL Server 7.0. With the release of SQL Server 2000,
Microsoft introduced MSDE 2000 and called it Microsoft SQL Server
2000 Desktop Engine. This article provides information on MSDE 2000
as it compares to SQL Server.
MSDE 2000 is a
redistributable version of SQL Server 2000. It is a database engine
provided by Microsoft that is based on the core SQL Server
technology and supports single- and dual-processor desktop
computers. In other words, MSDE 2000 is a scaled down copy of SQL
Server. MSDE 2000 was introduced to provide application developers a
database engine that is more powerful than the Jet engine and at the
same time expandable to SQL Server. It is ideal for client
applications requiring an embedded database and websites serving up
to 25 concurrent users.
The common technology base
shared between SQL Server and MSDE 2000 enables developers to build
applications that can scale seamlessly from desktop solutions to
multiprocessor enterprise clusters.
As an alternative to the
Jet engine, MSDE 2000 provides a cost-effective option for
developers who need a database server that can be easily distributed
and installed. Because it is fully compatible with SQL Server,
developers can easily target both SQL Server and MSDE 2000 with the
same application code base. This provides a seamless upgrade path
from MSDE 2000 to SQL Server if an application grows beyond the
storage and scalability limits of MSDE 2000.
MSDE Licensing
MSDE is not for sale as a
separate product. It is available for royalty-free redistribution by
vendors under certain MSDE licensing conditions. You don't need to
buy Client Access License if your application uses MSDE as a
back-end. Check Microsoft's website for details on MSDE licensing.
Managing MSDE Databases - SQL Server Enterprise Manager
Unlike SQL Server, MSDE
does not have its own MSDE admin tools for database design and
management (Enterprise Manager). MSDE ships with the OSQL utility
only. OSQL is a command prompt utility and not a functional MSDE
manager. You can create and manage MSDE database instances via
third-party tools and applications like Teratrax Database Manager
MSDE Database Limitations
MSDE is intended for single
user or small workgroup environments. The following are some of the
MSDE limitations in comparison with SQL Server:
> No
Enterprise Manager
> No
Query Analyzer
> No
Index Tuning Wizard
> Only
2GB RAM
> Only
2GB database size limit
> Only
2 CPUs
> Only
five concurrent batch workloads or 25 concurrent connections for
websites
> No
Database Server Failover Support
> No
Full-text search
> No
SQL Server Profiler
> No
Import and Export Wizards
> No
OLAP
> No
English Query
> No
SQL Books Online
> No
Full or Bulk-Logged recovery model support (only simple)
> This
list covers most of the MSDE limitations.
MSDE Requirement
Hardware Requirements for
MSDE
> Processor,
Intel Pentium 166 MHz or higher processor
Memory
> Windows
XP: 128 megabytes (MB) of RAM
> Windows
2000: 64 MB of RAM
> All
other operating systems: 32 MB of RAM
Hard disk
> 44
MB of available hard disk space
Operating System
Requirements for MSDE
> Windows
Server 2003, Standard Edition
> Windows
Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
> Windows
Server 2003, Datacenter Edition
> Windows
Server 2003, Web Edition
> Windows
2000 Server
> Windows
2000 Advanced Server
> Windows
2000 Datacenter Server
> Windows
NT Server 4.0 with Service Pack 5 (SP5) or later
> Windows
NT Server 4.0, Enterprise Edition, with SP5 or later
> Windows
NT Workstation 4.0 with SP5 or later
> Windows
XP Professional
> Windows
XP Home Edition
> Windows
2000 Professional
> Windows
Millennium Edition
> Windows
98
Microsoft Windows
NT® authentication
Microsoft Windows 98 does not provide
support authentication.
> Fiber
mode scheduling
> Asynchronous
I/O
> Read
ahead
> Performance
Monitor counters
> Scatter/Gather
I/O
> Named
pipes server network library
> AppleTalk
server or client network library
> Banyan
Vines server network library
