to all those of you out there that support 3.70 or earlier on SQL, how do you do this? I can see a number of options, and I am curious which you prefer:
I have both SQL2000 and SQL2005 installed (developer edition allows you to do this), and I run all versions of the NAV exe’s to create the databases.
I do not support 3.7 on SQL Server 2005 though, I just don’t think it is in anybody’s best interest to do that. It is MUCH easier to do a technical upgrade when you’re upgrading SQL Server. If the customer is not current on the license, then they should not move to 2005, it’s that simple.
You can connect to a 2000 server with the 2005 management studio. Cool huh [:P]
There is no need as a developer to have 2000 installed.
I do not encourage customers to move to 2005 as this version is even more specific in selecting indexes. Especialy NAV clustered indexes with options at front or indexes with Code and Date result in tablescans. [:S]
The issue is currently ping-ponging between the NAV and SQL team. [:@]
So did you vote for 1/ SQL 2000?
To clarify, I mean on your local laptop, (I thought I made that clear in the post, sorry if it wasn’t).
Of course on the live system they client would have 3.70 running on SQL2000 and I don’t see any other option, but I am talking about for local testing and things like that. In my case I moved everything to 2005. Including my laptop, but from what Mark says I may just remove 2005 and install 2000 to make life easier.
Thanks for the comments so far, I look forward to more form others. [:D]
I normally use virtual pc, but some time it can be extremely slow.
I don’t agree with that. Much as there shouldn’t be a difference, we all have a LOT of experience on NAV with things that SHOULD be but aren’t. I make it a point to just use what the customer uses. If they are on 3.6 and SQL2000 that is what I will use. So I have both 2000 and 2005 installed. I am not going to do my work on 2005 for a 2000 customer, and cause some undocumented compatibility issue.
I have both SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005 installed on my local laptop. Whatever my customers use is what I use. If they are 3.6 on SQL2000 that’s what I use as well. If they are on 4.0 SP3 and SQL2005 that’s what I use. I firmly believe that the only way to correctly support the customer is to use the same setup as them.
I think you’re right, I have come across so many issues that as you say “should but don’t”, so I think this thread is going off topic (the question being what do YOU use", but I think its going off topic in the right way, and evolving more in to a “best practices”, wich is far more useful.
So lets keep going in this direction. I think also there are different issues involved. For example my main use of the system is to test functionality and procedures, so in 99% of my cases it doesn’t matter about the back end. I work for one customer that runs on native db, but I do all testing on SQL. And all I am really doing is using the DB to capture screen shots for documentation. Of course one day they will come back and say “our sorting is different”. On the other hand if you are developing (especially out side of C/SIDE) or working in any way on database design or performance, then for sure the platforms must be identical.
Definitely though we need more voices on this one.