Cristian's Blog

The SQL Server 2008 R2 RTM is here and with it a lot of new resources.

1. Test Drive
   
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Hosted Trial: Free Virtual Labs
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Trial
• Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 R2 November Community Technology Preview Feature Pack
• Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 R2 - PowerPivot for Microsoft® Excel 2010 - November Community Technology Preview
• Microsoft SQL Server JDBC Driver 3.0
  
2. Webcasts, Videos and events
   
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Virtual Tour
• TechNet Webcast: How Microsoft IT Developed Best Practices in Offering PowerPivot as a Service (Level 300)
• TechNet Webcast: SQL Server 2008 R2: Server Consolidation (Level 300)
• TechNet Webcast: SQL Server 2008 R2: Simplify Management of Your SQL Server Data Platform (Level 300)
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Technical Preview: New features and capabilities in SQL Server 2008 R2  Tom Casey, General Manager, SQL Server Business Intelligence (GITCA Fireside Chat)
  
• SQL Server 2008 R2: Self Service Analytics Donald Farmer (GITCA Fireside Chat)
• Microsoft Kicking Off SQL Server 2008 R2 Launch Tour at PASS European Conference 2010
• 24 Hours of PASS: Celebrating SQL Server 2008 R2
• For MCT and Educators - MCT & Educator Virtual Summit 2010
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Tweetup Video Montage
3. Blog posts
   
• Updated Master Data Services Documentation and Resources (source Master Data Services Team)
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Released to Manufacturing! (source Data Platform Insider)
• Multi Server Management in SQL Server 2008 R2 - Andrew Fryer's blog
  
• Subselects and Calculated Members in R2 - Chris Webb's BI Blog
• QlikView from a PowerPivot standpoint - Donald Farmer: Foraging in the Data Forest
• A SQL Server 2008 R2 change for Service Broker - Bob Beauchemin's Blog
• Filestreams, Remote Blog Storage, and SQL Server 2008 R2 - Bob Beauchemin's Blog
• Filestreams, transactions and SQL Server 2008 R2 - Bob Beauchemin's Blog
• Inside the StreamInsight Object Model - Metadata - Bob Beauchemin's Blog
• Microsoft ships the final Technology Preview for SQL Server 2008 R2 Parallel Data Warehouse - Data Platform Insider, Official news for Microsoft's Data Platform
• SQL Server 2008 R2 November CTP – What’s New In Reporting Services? - SQL Server Reporting Services Team Blog
• SQL Server 2008 R2: What is StreamInsight used for - The Bit Bucket (Greg Low): IDisposable
  
• PowerPivot: Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) Language - TechNet Wiki
• PowerPivot: Overview - TechNet Wiki
• Microsoft SQL Server JDBC 3.0 Released - Microsoft JDBC Driver Team's blog
  
4. Books
• Free ebook from Microsoft Press: Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2
• Microsoft Press: Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Administrator's Pocket Consultant, Second Edition
  
5. Documentation
   
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Books Online - downloadable format here
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Books Online - What's new
  
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Resource Kit
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Guide
• StreamInsight Server Architecture
• Benchmarks (source SQL Server Performance blog)
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Update for Developers Training Kit (April 2010 Update)
6. Whitepapers
• Organizational Approaches to Master Data Management
• SharePoint Workflow Integration with Master Data Services
• Introducing Microsoft StreamInsight™ in SQL Server 2008 R2
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Manageability
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2: The Best Data Platform on Windows Server 2008 R2
• Microsoft SQL Server PowerPivot Planning and Deployment
7. E-Learning Clinics (thanks to Greg Low)
   • Clinic 10334: Introduction to Managed Self-Service BI with SQL Server 2008 R2 (New)
     [quote]This clinic covers the following topics:
     
     • Self-service Analysis
     • Self-service Report Authoring
     • Enhancing Report Visualization
     • Managed Self-service BI 
     [/quote]
   • Clinic 10331: Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Master Data Services
     [quote] This clinic covers the following topics:Master Data Services concepts, hierarchies, how to plan and implement Master Data Services Projects. [/quote]
   • Clinic 10335: Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 StreamInsight
     [quote] This clinic covers the following topics:
     • StreamInsight core concepts
     • Querying Stream-based Events
     • Designing and Working with Event Models
     • Hosting Queries and configuring Adapters
     [/quote]
   • Clinic 10336: Introduction to SQL Server 2008 R2 Application and Multi-Server Management
     [quote]
     This clinic covers the following topics:
     • Introducing Application and Multi-server Management
     • Working with data-tier applicationsManaging change in data-tier applications.
     • Managing data-tier applications
       
     [/quote]
   • Clinic 10332: Introduction to Microsoft SQL Azure
     Obviously this clinic is not related to SQL Server 2008 R2 but it's worth mentioning it :) [quote]
     This clinic covers the following topics:
     • Understanding the SQL Azure Platform
     • Designing Applications for SQL Azure
     • Migrating Applications to SQL Azure
     • Achieving Scale with SQL Azure
     [/quote]
   • Clinics on Parallel Data Warehouse, SQL Virtualization to published soon.
8. Local Resources
   
• Slides from the SQL Server 2008 R2 launch (in Romanian from Zoli's blog)
• Zoli Herczeg Petru-Jucovschi - SQL Server 2008 R2 noutati si beneficii peste editiile anterioare.pptx
• Cristian Lefter - SQL Server 2008 R2 - managementul aplicatiilor si a mediilor multi-server.pptx
• Ciprian Jichici - SQL Server 2008 R2 business-intelligence.pptx
• Teodor Blidăruș - Scenariu-Aplicatii de business online - Optimizarea performantei.pptx
• Ciprian Jichici - Scenariu Datawarehousing ETL StreamInsight Master Data Services.pptx
• Ciprian Jichici Scenariu Consolidare asincronă de date Service Broker.pptx
• Mihai Matei Scenariu Consolidare sincronă de date replicare.pdf
• Rafal Lukawiecki - BI with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft Office System 2010 (event slides - source: Zoli's blog)
• Session 1: The Big Picture of Business Intelligence: Goals, Concepts, and the Platform
  This session will introduce the overall picture of Business Intelligence and will relate the Microsoft BI Platform to it.
• Session 2: The Knowledge Worker’s Perspective: Self-Service of BI
  This session will concentrate on how Office System 2010, in particular SharePoint 2010 and its PerformancePoint Services enable anyone to create and use BI in an organization. We will also introduce the very new Microsoft Power Pivot stressing how existing Excel skills enable self-service analysis and also mention other self-service aspects of BI, such as self-service reporting. This session will also discuss the IT Professional challenge of managing the life cycle of a potentially fast, organically growing BI system built by its users.
• Session 3: The IT Perspective: Data Warehousing, Management, and Analytical Structures
  This session aims to take a look at BI capabilities of the SQL Server 2008 R2. We will introduce Master Data Management and new approaches to massive Data Warehousing.
• Session 4: The Analyst’s Perspective: Ad-hoc Analysis with Microsoft Power Pivot and Office 2010 Excel
  We will introduce a new language for analysis known as DAX which can help more advanced users create powerful analytical applications all inside Excel and PowerPivot. Finally, we will review the existing Data Mining technologies of SQL Server 2008 R2.
• Summary: Microsoft BI for Your Enterprise

At least the following downloads are available:
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 RTM - Express
Microsoft SQL Server2008 R2 RTM - Express with Advanced Services
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 RTM - Express with Management Tools
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 RTM - Management Studio Express

In case you didn't know the SQL Server 2008 R2 Express Edition - expands the size limit of a user database to 10GB.

Also looking at the downloads related to SQL Server 2008 R2 it seems that also a trial is available for download.

Probably this is not the right question. What is certain is that twitter has become a valuable source of information. I had to add new words to my language, words like "to tweet" "tweetup" "twitterview". You have no idea what tweetup or twitterview means? Tweetup or tweet-up is defined by Macmillan Dictionary as [quote] a meeting of two or more people who know each other through the Twitter short messaging service [/quote]. Impressions from a SQL Server 2008 R2 tweetup can be found on SQL Server Team's FaceBook page and on The blog from the dkRanch - The Tweetup.
As for twitterview - I will assist at the first one (for me) in a few hours:
[quote]

Donald Farmer ‘Twitterview’ with SQL Server Magazine

Attention SQL Server enthusiasts: mark your calendar for April 14, 9:30 AM PDT. SQL Server Magazine is hosting a ‘Twitterview’ with Donald Farmer, Principal Program Manager for SQL Server. This is your opportunity to ask Donald your burning BI questions. This is a continuation of SQL Server Magazine’s article by Shelia Molnar about Microsoft’s BI Strategy.
Not participated in a Twitterview before? It’s easy! Donald will answer your questions via the SQL Server Magazine Twitter account (@SQLServerMag) from 9:30 AM to 10:00 AM PDT.

[/quote]

If you ever need help with SQL Server use the hashtag (a hash tag is simply a tag with the hash "#" symbol as prefix) #sqlhelp.

I will close by mentioning just a few of the channels I follow:

• @MS_SQL_Server - The official SQL Server twitter
• @billramo - Bill Ramos SQL Server expert on manageability and performance troubleshooting and fan of agile and UI development
• @SQLServerMag - SQL Server Magazine is dedicated to helping DBAs, database developers, and BI professionals get the most out of SQL Server.
• @SSRS - Blogs Posts and Connecting with the SQL Server Reporting Services Team
• @buckwoody - Buck Woody - Database Guy
• @mssqltips - MSSQLTips - Your source for daily SQL Server tips
• @donalddotfarmer - Donald Farmer - Working @ Microsoft in Business Intelligence. Personal interests: philosophy, art, and indulgences starting with food and wine and ending who knows where?
• @sqlpass - Professional Association for SQL Server. Connect, Share, Learn.

Come to the twitterview with Donald Farmer

Published Update
Twitterview: Microsoft’s Donald Farmer on SQL Server 2008 R2 (the transcript)
SQL Server 2008 R2 Tweetup Video Montage

With SQL Server 2008 R2 RTM knocking at the door a list with R2 resources may come in handy.
So here you are:

1. SQL Server 2008 R2 Update for Developers Training Kit (April 2010 Update)
   [quote]
   The SQL Server 2008 R2 Update for Developers Training Kit is ideal for developers who want to understand how to take advantage of the key improvements introduced in SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2 in their applications, as well as for developers who are new to SQL Server.
   [/quote]
   It contains presentations (22), demos (29), hands-on labs (18), videos (35) as well as an utility to help configuring your computer for running the demos.
   
2. E-Learning Clinics (thanks to Greg Low)
• Clinic 10331: Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Master Data Services
  [quote] This clinic covers the following topics:Master Data Services concepts, hierarchies, how to plan and implement Master Data Services Projects. [/quote]
• Clinic 10335: Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 StreamInsight
  [quote] This clinic covers the following topics:
  • StreamInsight core concepts
  • Querying Stream-based Events
  • Designing and Working with Event Models
  • Hosting Queries and configuring Adapters
  [/quote]
• Clinic 10336: Introduction to SQL Server 2008 R2 Application and Multi-Server Management
  [quote]
  This clinic covers the following topics:
  • Introducing Application and Multi-server Management
  • Working with data-tier applicationsManaging change in data-tier applications.
  • Managing data-tier applications
    
  [/quote]
• Clinic 10332: Introduction to Microsoft SQL Azure
  Obviously this clinic is not related to SQL Server 2008 R2 but it's worth mentioning it :) [quote]
  This clinic covers the following topics:
  • Understanding the SQL Azure Platform
  • Designing Applications for SQL Azure
  • Migrating Applications to SQL Azure
  • Achieving Scale with SQL Azure
  [/quote]
• Clinics on Self-Service BI and Reporting, Parallel Data Warehouse, SQL Virtualization to published soon.
3. Webcasts
• TechNet Webcast: How Microsoft IT Developed Best Practices in Offering PowerPivot as a Service (Level 300)
• TechNet Webcast: SQL Server 2008 R2: Server Consolidation (Level 300)
• TechNet Webcast: SQL Server 2008 R2: Simplify Management of Your SQL Server Data Platform (Level 300)
4. Whitepapers
• Introducing Microsoft StreamInsight™ in SQL Server 2008 R2
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Manageability
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2: The Best Data Platform on Windows Server 2008 R2
• Microsoft SQL Server PowerPivot Planning and Deployment
  
5. GITCA Fireside Chats
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Technical Preview: New features and capabilities in SQL Server 2008 R2  Tom Casey, General Manager, SQL Server Business Intelligence
• SQL Server 2008 R2: Self Service Analytics Donald Farmer
  
6. PASS - The Professional Association for SQL Server
   
• Microsoft Kicking Off SQL Server 2008 R2 Launch Tour at PASS European Conference 2010
• 24 Hours of PASS: Celebrating SQL Server 2008 R2
7. Articles and blogs
   
• Multi Server Management in SQL Server 2008 R2 - Andrew Fryer's blog
  
• Subselects and Calculated Members in R2 - Chris Webb's BI Blog
• QlikView from a PowerPivot standpoint - Donald Farmer: Foraging in the Data Forest
• A SQL Server 2008 R2 change for Service Broker - Bob Beauchemin's Blog
• Filestreams, Remote Blog Storage, and SQL Server 2008 R2 - Bob Beauchemin's Blog
• Filestreams, transactions and SQL Server 2008 R2 - Bob Beauchemin's Blog
• Inside the StreamInsight Object Model - Metadata - Bob Beauchemin's Blog
• Microsoft ships the final Technology Preview for SQL Server 2008 R2 Parallel Data Warehouse - Data Platform Insider, Official news for Microsoft's Data Platform
• SQL Server 2008 R2 November CTP – What’s New In Reporting Services? - SQL Server Reporting Services Team Blog
• SQL Server 2008 R2: What is StreamInsight used for - The Bit Bucket (Greg Low): IDisposable
  
• PowerPivot: Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) Language - TechNet Wiki
• PowerPivot: Overview - TechNet Wiki
8. Downloads
• SQL Server 2008 R2 November CTP
• Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 R2 November Community Technology Preview Feature Pack
• Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 R2 - PowerPivot for Microsoft® Excel 2010 - November Community Technology Preview
9. Local Resources
• Slides from the SQL Server 2008 R2 launch (in Romanian from Zoli's blog)
• Zoli Herczeg Petru-Jucovschi - SQL Server 2008 R2 noutati si beneficii peste editiile anterioare.pptx
• Cristian Lefter - SQL Server 2008 R2 - managementul aplicatiilor si a mediilor multi-server.pptx
• Ciprian Jichici - SQL Server 2008 R2 business-intelligence.pptx
• Teodor Blidăruș - Scenariu-Aplicatii de business online - Optimizarea performantei.pptx
• Ciprian Jichici - Scenariu Datawarehousing ETL StreamInsight Master Data Services.pptx
• Ciprian Jichici Scenariu Consolidare asincronă de date Service Broker.pptx
• Mihai Matei Scenariu Consolidare sincronă de date replicare.pdf
• Rafal Lukawiecki - BI with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft Office System 2010 (event slides - source: Zoli's blog)
• Session 1: The Big Picture of Business Intelligence: Goals, Concepts, and the Platform
  This session will introduce the overall picture of Business Intelligence and will relate the Microsoft BI Platform to it.
• Session 2: The Knowledge Worker’s Perspective: Self-Service of BI
  This session will concentrate on how Office System 2010, in particular SharePoint 2010 and its PerformancePoint Services enable anyone to create and use BI in an organization. We will also introduce the very new Microsoft Power Pivot stressing how existing Excel skills enable self-service analysis and also mention other self-service aspects of BI, such as self-service reporting. This session will also discuss the IT Professional challenge of managing the life cycle of a potentially fast, organically growing BI system built by its users.
• Session 3: The IT Perspective: Data Warehousing, Management, and Analytical Structures
  This session aims to take a look at BI capabilities of the SQL Server 2008 R2. We will introduce Master Data Management and new approaches to massive Data Warehousing.
• Session 4: The Analyst’s Perspective: Ad-hoc Analysis with Microsoft Power Pivot and Office 2010 Excel
  We will introduce a new language for analysis known as DAX which can help more advanced users create powerful analytical applications all inside Excel and PowerPivot. Finally, we will review the existing Data Mining technologies of SQL Server 2008 R2.
• Summary: Microsoft BI for Your Enterprise
10. Other resources
• For MCT and Educators - MCT & Educator Virtual Summit 2010
11. Free ebook: Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2
    

Enjoy!