SQL Server goes 64-bit

By Alun Williams

Posted on 23 Apr 2003 at 17:25

Overshadowed, somewhat, by the attention-grabbing debuts of Visual Studio.Net 2003 and Windows Server 2003, there is a third element to today's Microsoft releases: the 64-bit SQL Server 2000.

Note that this is a 64-bit edition of SQL Server 2000. The release of 'Yukon' - the next-generation of SQL Server - is still away on the horizon. It is customised for Intel's 64-bit server processor, the Itanium 2.

The new database is intended to address the need for ever-growing data storage. Whether the applications involve data warehousing, OLAP (on-line analytical processing) systems or simply the transactions of massively-scaled e-business, the idea is that 64-bit computing can provide more scaleable systems. It represents Microsoft's latest challenge to enterprise-focussed vendors such as Oracle and IBM

Most importantly, the latest edition is code-compatible with the current 32-bit SQL Server systems and is built from exactly the same code base. Sharing identical database file formats, 64-bit and 32-bit systems should be completely inter-operable. The release includes all the official patches and updates for the current 32-bit SQL Server 2000, up to SP3.

Scalability and cost-effectiveness are the main selling points, according to Mitch Gatchalian, Microsoft's Product Manager for SQL Server. It's 'a 100 per cent viable alternative to Unix-based systems' he told us.

He emphasised three main aspects that Itanium support brings to the party: larger memory addressing, support for parallel computing, and greater levels of on-chip L3 cache. On the latter point, he claimed the move from on-board to on-chip cache cuts latency in half, enabling the system to push more data through the pipes.

The 64-bit SQL Server is designed to take advantage of these features. First, the larger range of memory addressing enables the use of larger-scale storage systems. Instead of being constrained to a 4Gb memory address range, the software can cope with dynamically addressing 512Gb, which is a constraint of the hardware boxes currently available (64-bit systems have a theoretical addressing range of 16 Exabytes, but it will take a lot more time before this is realised).

The second and third points work together - with support for parallel computing and holding larger data sets in memory, database performance can be dramatically improved. This applies to all areas - backups and system recoveries, as well as in-memory data processing.

Usage scenarios for 64-bit SQL Server, Gatchalian maintained, range from 2-way HP boxes all the way up to the 32-way NEC Express5800 systems.

In terms of pricing and licensing, Microsoft is following exactly the same licensing model as for the 32-bit version. You can find the full details at Microsoft.com/sql. Two editions are available. As well as an Enterprise Edition, a Developer Edition will be available through MSDN.