3.3. Pre-Upgrade Checks
To ensure that you have a successful upgrade to SQL Server 2008, here are a few housekeeping tips. Ensure that all system databases are configured to autogrow and that they have adequate hard-disk space. Make certain that all startup stored procedures are disabled, as the upgrade process will stop and start services on the SQL Server instance being upgraded. Now that you understand the strategies for upgrading to SQL Server 2008, it's time to look at the upgrade tools available to assist in this process.
3.3.1. SQL Server Upgrade Advisor
If you want to take advantage of the lessons other SQL Server users have already learned about upgrading, the SQL Server 2008 Upgrade Advisor is the tool for you. This tool is based on early adopters' feedback and internal lab-testing feedback. The SQL Server 2008 Upgrade Advisor is a free download available as part of the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Feature Pack at www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=C6C3E9EF-BA29-4A43-8D69-A2BED18FE73C and is also available as part of the SQL Server 2008 installation media for all editions. The purpose of this tool is to identify known upgrade issues and provide guidance for workarounds or fixes for the identified issues on a per-server components' basis. Microsoft worked hard on this tool as a risk-mitigation effort to empower SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2000 users to upgrade to SQL Server 2008. So, whether you are running Analysis Services, Integration Services, DTS ...
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