A little over a week ago saw a number of patches released for SQL Server, including the much awaited Service Pack 1 for SQL Server 2008 R2. While I wouldn't caution people to wait for SP1 any longer when a SQL Server version is released, there are people that still wait, so I would expect that adoption of SQL Server 2008 R2 might jump over the next few months. There were other patches for SQL Server 2008 coming out as well, though none of the fixes were critical. If you are having issues, however, check the CU KB articles to see if something you are experiencing is fixed.

The last few years, with the regular every other month CU patch cycle have gone very smoothly, and it seems that quite often there are less and less fixes being included. There are still bugs, but overall it seems the quality of the software has risen, a trend that I hope continues in SQL 11, AKA Denali.

Speaking of Denali, CTP3 was released recently and there are quite a few people out there testing and experimenting with the changes. I have no idea when the final product will be released, but usually CTP3 is fairly complete and I'd expect an RC0 or even RTM later this year, depending on feedback.

This week I found a general overview of Denali, as well as a look at SSIS, Powershell, SSAS, and more from different people that have different focuses on the SQL Server platform. There's even a look at the projected certification overhaul that should be taking place for the SQL 11 release. It's a step in the right direction, and I look forward to seeing how the exams change to better measure skills, not memorization.

Steve Jones

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