Last month, we announced that we will end support for SQL Server 2000 on March 31, 2010. This decision was made because Microsoft ended Mainstream support for SQL Server 2000 on April 8, 2008, which means that they do not address issues or bugs found to be part of SQL Server 2000. I understand you may have some questions about how this affects your organization. Most of you are already on a supported version of SQL Server, so you will not be affected. For those of you who are on SQL 2000, we will still answer your product questions.
What does the end of support mean?
Before we get into what this means, let’s talk about SQL Server and how it affects Blackbaud products. SQL Server is the database engine that is the backbone of all current Blackbaud applications. This allows multiple users across your organization to access one set of data from a centralized server. Most Blackbaud products (including The Raiser’s Edge, The Financial Edge, The Education Edge, and Blackbaud Student Information System) are packaged with a free version of SQL Server called SQL Server 2005 Express (Patron Edge requires a full version of SQL Server). SQL Server 2005 Express supports databases up to 4 GB in size. If your database exceeds this size, you must purchase a licensed edition of SQL Server such as Standard or Enterprise.
Now back to what this means to you.
If you are using SQL Server 2005 Express, SQL Server 2005, or SQL Server 2008 then you don’t have to do anything. To determine your version of SQL Server, log into your application and go the Help>About <Product Name> from the menu bar. If you’re using SQL Server 2000, don’t worry, we will still support your product functionality questions.
Keep in mind you must be on a supported version of SQL Server to update to any Blackbaud application released after March 31, 2010. If your database is less than 4 GB, you can use SQL Server 2005 Express for free. SQL Express does have other limitations, such the amount of RAM and the number of CPUs supported, that may affect your organization. If you decide not to use SQL Express, you will need to purchase a license of SQL Server that is supported by your application. Before you purchase a SQL Server license, make sure to review the differences between SQL server versions and editions as well as our System Requirements. Most nonprofits (excluding schools) are eligible to purchase SQL Server at a discounted rate from Tech Soup.
Once you determine the best SQL Server edition for your organization, you will need to install or upgrade SQL Server. We will talk about the options for upgrading in my next post.
For more information review Knowledgebase solution BB592364.