Database Management

Application Deployment

Improve application deployment capabilities by using project templates and automating deployment and maintenance tasks.

SQL Server 2008 R2 makes it possible for database administrators to provision new database servers much more rapidly by using Sysprep images in SQL Server 2008 R2. Enhanced support for Hyper-V means that organizations can use virtualization to enhance the speed and flexibility of deployment while further reducing complexity. The Windows PowerShell scripting environment helps to automate deployment and administrative tasks for greater efficiency.

Application & Multi-Server Management

Gain insights into the growing number of database applications and instances to help ensure higher service levels and optimize resources.

SQL Server 2008 R2 application and multi-server management capabilities help organizations proactively manage database environments more efficiently at scale through increased visibility into resource utilization. This helps identify consolidation opportunities and streamline deployment across the application life cycle.

New wizards speed the setup and management of these capabilities, and the new Control Point Explorer provides the ability to pinpoint specific issues and drill down into instance and application resource usage. A new data-tier application template provides a single unit of deployment, simplifying the deployment of database applications and removing manual configuration tasks.

Compression

Reduce storage needs and increase backup speeds by configuring data compression in all or individual databases.

SQL Server 2008 R2 data and backup compression capabilities help organizations make more efficient use of storage resources, cutting storage by up to 90 percent and reducing overall costs.* Support for Unicode UCS-2, with up to 50 percent compression efficiency, enables organizations to compress more types of data across global systems.** Backup compression helps reduce storage by 66 percent and increase backup speeds almost fourfold for greater efficiency.***

Flexible configuration options enable companies to tailor compression settings, balancing CPU and disk space usage to fit administrative needs.

Database Administration

Streamline administration and reduce training costs by managing, maintaining, and monitoring databases through a single console, with a unified set of tools.

SQL Server 2008 R2 database administration capabilities in Management Studio help database administrators automate administrative tasks and implement best practices across the enterprise. Policy-Based Management helps ensure that database policies and best practices are implemented consistently across systems to quickly identify policy violations. Support for the Windows PowerShell scripting environment enables deployment and administration task automation.

Monitoring and tuning tools, including Performance Data Collector, SQL Server Profiler, and Dynamic Management Views, help ensure the performance, reliability, and scalability of database systems.