Upgrade to 2005 or 2008 from 2000

[bustell]

Our company has finally decided to start moving databases from SQL 2000 to SQL 2005/2008. We are mainly doing this because of a database that has just really taken off and is processing several million transactions a day which has forced us to look at more powerful hardware, more storage and a newer version of SQL Server (going with enterprise versions on a 64-bit server with clustering and a SANS unit).

The database (and our SQL 2000) are pretty basic. We do not use any analysis or reporting services. We also only have about 20 DTS packages, most of which are not used on a daily basis.

With SQL Server 2008 being so new, my question to the group is should I look into migrating directly from SQL 2000 to SQL 2008 or should I make a stop over at SQL 2005 first?

Though I am not always in favor of using the latest version of anything from Microsoft right after release, I have considered going directly to SQL Server 2008 from 2000. We have hardware so at this time it is a migration from one server to another. However, if I make a stop at SQL 2005 first, then when I go to SQL 2008, it would be an upgrade which I don't like doing. Or could I migrate from 2005 to 2008 on the same server?

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,




Pat B

 

[yelworcm]

Personally, I would go directly to SQL 2008, as this will forestall the next update you have to do. Either way you go, your biggest problem is going to be the DTS packages. In SQL 2005, DTS was utterly rewritten, and renamed SSIS (SQL Server Integration Services). While a lot of simple packages can run with special help in SQL 2005, there is no guarantee of this.

As always, this should be done on a test server before going live. You will definitely want to spend some time getting used to the new tools, and maybe even some of your application's oddities on the new database engine.

 

[MDXer]

I would upgrade to 2005 unless you are looking for more BI datawarehousing functionality, which it doesn't sound like you are. From what I have seen and read so far most of the improvements/enhancements have been more targeted towards the DW BI side of things. There are a few things you may benefit from going to 2008 but that is a cost benefit thing you have to decide. I've never upgraded prior to the first service pack.

Paul
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