SQL Server 2005: Server upgrade requirements

• Determine your product version upgrade path.
• See "Version and Edition Upgrades" in SQL Server 2005 Books Online

• Verify that the SQL Server 2005 environment meets hardware and software requirements.
• See Hardware and Software Requirements for Installing SQL Server 2005

• Ensure that the SQL Server 2005 environment is capable of supporting future needs from a user and transaction perspective.
• Review your legacy SQL Server configurations and objects using SQL Server 2005 Upgrade Advisor to determine potential issues prior to the upgrade. This Microsoft tool is valuable to understanding issues in the environment.
• See Using Upgrade Advisor to Prepare for Upgrades and the SearchSQLServer.com tip Reduce upgrade unknowns with SQL Server 2005 Upgrade Advisor

• Set up an environment to test the migration process as well as front-end applications and dependent (upstream and downstream) systems' functionality.
• Take a holistic view of the environment to ensure you don't overlook any applications because the components that are overlooked become issues during the process.

Click for the next tip to help you prepare for a SQL Server 2005 upgrade: Common SQL Server 2005 upgrade methods

This tip originally appeared on SearchSQLServer.com.

About the author: Jeremy Kadlec is the Principal Database Engineer at Edgewood Solutions, a technology services company delivering professional services and product solutions for Microsoft SQL Server. He has authored numerous articles and delivers frequent presentations at regional SQL Server Users Groups and nationally at SQL PASS. Jeremy is also SearchSQLServer.com's Performance Tuning expert. Ask him a question.

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