Silverlight 2 Tools, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 SP1 Installed & Working Together
This article goes over the steps needed to:
- Install SQL Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 SP1 and Silverlight 2 Beta 2 together
- Install Visual Studio 2008 SP1 & Silverlight 2 Beta 2 together
- Items to remove if you had: SQL Server 2008 Beta/RC or Visual Studio 2008 SP1 Beta installed
Last week Microsoft released SQL Server 2008. SQL Server 2008 includes several tools and services that require .NET 3.5 Service Pack 1. The redistributable is included with the SQL Server 2008 installation. However, this caused problems with workstations that had Visual Studio 2008 installed. Visual Studio 2008 could not work with .NET 3.5 SP1 as it ran on the original .NET 3.5 version. This was the first thing I ran into when I installed SQL Server 2008 last week. This is all detailed in the Microsoft Help & Support section here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956139
The second issue is that even if Visual Studio worked, the Silverlight tools for .NET 3.1 SP1 were not released. So I ended up uninstalling SQL Server 2008 and putting off my upgrade on all my workstations/servers. Today (8/11/2008) Microsoft released several tools in order for developers to install Silverlight, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 SP1 on a single workstation.
Before we get started, this is what you will need in order to compete the installation. Please note these items, as upgrading your workstation to this environment can take some time:
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Depending on your workstation (processor/network connection), this can take well more than a couple of hours to set up.
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Visual Studio 2008 installed or CD (possibly need the CD media, more on that later)
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SQL Server 2008 (Download from MSDN, if you have a subscription) (ISO file)
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Extract the ISO files:
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Below are three scenarios listed. These should be done in the order noted below; Otherwise, you could run into problems. Specifically, SQL Server 2008 HAS to be installed after Visual Studio 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 SP1 (exception noted below):
On a 100% clean workstation, follow these steps:
- Install Visual Studio 2008
- Install Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1
- After the installation, it will prompt you for a reboot. If you are planning to install the Silverlight Tools, ignore the reboot and Install the Silverlight Tools. If not installing the Silverlight Tools, reboot the workstation
- Install Silverlight 2 Beta 2 Tools for VS 2008 SP1
- Reboot (If you do not reboot, you will receive weird errors that say the SP1 or Silverlight Tools are not installed)
- Install SQL Server 2008
On a workstation that has Visual Studio 2008 and NEVER had Silverlight Tools installed, SQL Server 2008 Beta/RC, .NET 3.5 SP1 Beta, follow these steps:
- Install Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1
- After the installation, it will prompt you for a reboot. If you are planning to install the Silverlight Tools, ignore the reboot and Install the Silverlight Tools. If not installing the Silverlight Tools, reboot the workstation
- Install Silverlight 2 Beta 2 Tools for VS 2008 SP1
- Reboot (If you do not reboot, you will receive weird errors that say the SP1 or Silverlight Tools are not installed)
- Install SQL Server 2008
On a workstation that has Visual Studio 2008 and you installed any of these items: SQL Server 2008 Beta/RC, VS 2008 SP 1 Beta or Silverlight Beta 2 Tools for VS 2008
You technically do not have to install SQL 2008 last. However, it makes your life much easier if you do. You can do this:
- ...
- Install SQL Sever 2008 (Only install components of SQL Server 2008 that do not require Visual Studio 2008.) Do NOT select the following features:
- Management Tools (Basic or Complete)
- Integration Services
- Business Intelligence Development Studio
- Install VS 2008 SP1
- ....
- Install the missing components for SQL Server 2008 that you omited (SSMS, Intergration Services, BIDS)
This is NOT recommended, but possible. I figured I would post this in case someone else tried that scenario.
- All of your existing VS 2008 projects will open normally. There is no "conversion/upgrade" required
- I tried a couple of big Silverlight 2 Beta 2 projects and they transferred seamlessly
- Note: apparently ADO.NET Data Services in SQL Server 2008 currently do not work with Silverlight 2 Beta 2
- If you have any problems, feel free to post/email them to me
SQL Server 2008 Quick Fact - New SSMS Shortcut
SQL Server 2008 is around the corner and I have been playing with it on and off. Microsoft has renamed the shortcut for starting Management Studio (old Query Analyzer + Enterprise Studio) in 2008. I found this almost a year ago with one of the Release Candidates, but was reminded of it when I re-installed SQL Server 2008 this weekend.
I am a big fan of shortcuts. Every developer sets their machines differently and working with database servers its always faster typing in the shortcut in start->run rather than digging for an icon.
SQL 2000
In SQL Server 2000, to launch Query Analyzer we ran the ISQLW shortcut. This essentially was the GUI equivelant of the ISQL console application.
SQL 2005
In SQL Server 2005, the Query Analyzer application and Enterprise Manager had their functionality merged into one application called "SQL Server Management Studio". One would figure that the shortcut for SQL Server 2005 would be SSMS or something. The shortcut is actually called SQLWB. For those that have played with some of the private old alphas of SQL Server 2005 (when it was still called Yukon) might remember that Management Studio was actually called SQL Server Workbench. That executable had remained SQLWB even though the product name got changed.
SQL 2008
In SQL Server 2008, FINALLY we have a standard shortcut. The shortcut now is SSMS; you guessed from the product name SQL Server Management Studio. This is not the most prolific feature inside SQL Server 2008, but I thought it is nice that finally the shortcut is standard with the long name of the product. There was someone in Microsoft who was probably asking himself the same thing "Why is the SQL Server Management Studio executable SQLWB?" nad finally decided to change it.
