News
Microsoft Releases SQL Server 2008 SP3
- By Kurt Mackie
- October 10, 2011
Microsoft released Service Pack 3 (SP3) for SQL Server
2008 on Thursday, about one year after the release of SP2.
This Microsoft support article lists all of the issues addressed in SP3. The new service pack includes fixes to SP2 that were reported via Microsoft's
customer feedback systems, including fixes to Cumulative Updates 1
through 4 for SQL Server 2008 SP2. It also includes customer-requested improvements.
According to Microsoft's announcement, users
upgrading from earlier versions of SQL Server will find an improved user experience. Nevertheless, before upgrading, IT pros should check Microsoft's
SP3 release notes,
which include elaborate installation instructions for those who installed
the pre-release version of SQL Server 2008 or Visual Studio 2008.
Other customer improvements described by Microsoft are rather
technical. For instance, the logs in SQL Server Integration Services now
show "the total number of rows sent in Data Flows." When using
the Shrink Database option, users now get "enhanced warning
messages when creating the maintenance plan." Microsoft fixed a
problem associated with transparent data encryption, making it
available even when a certificate is dropped. Query outcomes are now
improved after the Database Tuning Advisor references the "indexed
Spatial Data Type column."
SQL Server 2008 SP3 can be downloaded here for 32-bit or 64-bit hardware. The
update requires Windows Server 2003 or newer versions to run, or it can
be installed on machines running Windows Vista or Windows 7. SP3 will
update the following SQL Server 2008 editions: Enterprise, Standard,
Evaluation, Developer and Workgroup. Those upgrading to SP3 don't need
to have SP2 installed beforehand.
SQL Server 2008 SP3 Express, a free edition of Microsoft's database
management system, can be downloaded here.
Microsoft also released a Feature Pack for SQL Server 2008 SP3. The
Feature Pack, available here, contains enhancements that can
be added via individual installation packages.
About the Author
Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.