VM /ETC

In case you have not noticed, VC 2.5 now uses SQL 2005 Express instead of MSDE for it’s default database. Of course you will normally configure an ODBC connection to either a production Oracle or SQL instance for your VC server, but if you are building a lab or if you install Update Manager you will end up with a new install of SQL Server 2005 Express.

Although MSDE and SQL 2005 Express are very similar, there are some differences to be aware of. I have recreated this comparison table from Microsoft’s Upgrading MSDE 2000 to SQL Server 2005 Express page:

I do not have any great insight to add here. I just thought showing the differences and capabilities would be helpful to someone deciding on whether to use the default VC database for smaller implementations. Also, when planning to use the default VC database be sure to use the VirtualCenter Database Calculator to predict whether or not you will stay under the 4 GB limit.

Check out the link to the Microsoft page for more on the features of SQL 2005 Express.

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