Microsoft SQL Server 2000 / 2005 Management Pack

The SQL Server Management Pack monitors the availability and performance of SQL Server 2000 and 2005 and can issue alerts for configuration problems.  Availability and performance monitoring is done using synthetic transactions.  In addition, the Management Pack collects Event Log alerts and provides associated knowledge articles with additional user details, possible causes, and suggested resolutions.  The Management Pack discovers Database Engines, Database Instances, and Databases and can optionally discover Database File and Database File Group objects.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=8c0f970e-c653-4c15-9e51-6a6cadfca363&DisplayLang=en

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 JDBC Driver 1.2 Community Technology Preview April 2007

In its continued commitment to interoperability, Microsoft has released a new Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) driver with SQL Server 2005.  The SQL Server 2005 JDBC Driver 1.2 CTP April 2007 download is available to all SQL Server users at no additional charge, and provides access to SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005 from any Java application, application server, or Java-enabled applet. This is a Type 4 JDBC driver that provides database connectivity through the standard JDBC application program interfaces (APIs) available in J2EE (Java2 Enterprise Edition).  This release of the JDBC Driver is JDBC 3.0 compliant and runs on the Java Development Kit (JDK) version 1.4 and higher. It has been tested against all major application servers including BEA WebLogic, IBM WebSphere, JBoss, and Sun.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=f914793a-6fb4-475f-9537-b8fcb776befd&DisplayLang=en

SQL Server Tables and Exchange Web Services

The SQL Server Tables and Exchange Web Services sample demonstrates a powerful integration of Microsoft® Exchange Server 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server™ 2005 features.  This integration enables you to provide data from both Microsoft Exchange and SQL Server to client applications so that the data appears as if it were stored in SQL Server.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d6924897-7b62-46fd-874e-24fb0fba2159&DisplayLang=en

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Enterprise / Exchange Server 2007 32-bit VHD

The Microsoft VHD Test Drive Program provides customers with an enhanced server-based software evaluation experience that’s faster, better supported and more flexible.  You can now access the entire catalogue of pre-configured Microsoft and partner products and solutions in the VHD format and start evaluating and testing today from www.microsoft.com/vhd.  Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 provides built-in protection technologies to help keep the e-mail system up and running and better protected from outside threats while allowing employees to work from wherever they are using a variety of clients including Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Web Access, and mobile devices. Exchange Server 2007 makes it easier for IT to deliver these new capabilities to their organizations by making the messaging environment easier to manage and more cost efficient. Please see www.microsoft.com/exchange/preview for additional information.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=fa09a01d-ac7b-4a7e-8d28-79e222b14ae5&DisplayLang=en

.NET Rocks! - Paul Randal on SQL Server 2005 Performance and Recovery

Paul Randal started in the industry in 1994 working for DEC on the VMS file system and check/repair tools.  In 1999 he moved to Microsoft to work on SQL Server, specifically on DBCC.  For SQL Server 2000, he concentrated on index fragmentation (writing DBCC INDEXDEFRAG, DBCC SHOWCONTIG) and various algorithms in DBCC CHECKDB. During SQL Server 2005 development was the lead developer / manager of one the core dev teams in the Storage Engine, responsible for data access and storage (DBCC, allocation, indexes & heaps, pages / records, text / LOB storage, snapshot isolation, etc). He also spent several years rewriting DBCC CHECKDB / repair.  Since SQL Server 2005 shipped, Paul has managed the Program Management team for the core Storage Engine to become more focused on customer/partner engagement and feature set definition.  Paul regularly presents at conferences around the world on high-availability, disaster recovery and Storage Engine internals.  His popular blog is at http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlserverstorageengine.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=78930701-dc1d-4631-b29e-6a9625cec755&DisplayLang=en

SQL Server Migration Assistant for Access

Microsoft SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA) for Access is a tool for migrating databases from Microsoft Access to Microsoft SQL Server 2005. SSMA for Access converts Access database objects to SQL Server database objects, loads those objects into SQL Server, and then migrates data from Access to SQL Server.  SSMA for Access supports Access 97 - Access 2003 databases.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d842f8b4-c914-4ac7-b2f3-d25fff4e24fb&DisplayLang=en