You can run SQL 2005 in production and SQL 2008 in dev, but make sure to keep the compatibility level the same in the database settings and don't use any of the newer features or newer data types in dev unless you are ready to commit to a production upgrade. I assume you are not going to do any detach/reattach moves from dev to production in this arrangement. The popular database sync tools like RedGate SQL Compare, support syncing databases with different compatibility levels. If you use the BI tools, such as SSIS and SSRS, you should use the 2005 tools to manage the 2005 packages and reports, and the 2008 tools to manage the 2008 packages and reports.
I recommend installing 2008 R2 along side 2005. As long as you intend to manage 2005 databases, it would help to keep a copy of that database engine installed because if you do encounter a problem in production, you will want to exactly reproduce the problem in dev. I run Express, 2005, 2008, and 2008R2 in my development environment and turn the relevant services on and off as needed using batch scripts. SSMS 2008R2 can be used to manage 2005 and 2008 databases, and I would recommended using this latest R2 version on your workstation. -Mike Chabot On Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 10:54 PM, Michael Kear <[email protected]>wrote: > > Are databases created/modified on MS SQLServer 2008 compatible with > SQLServer2005 files? I'm considering upgrading my development machine, > and the Action Pack contains SQL2008, not SQL2005. > > But my web servers have SQL2005 on them. > > Cheers > Mike Kear > Windsor, NSW, Australia > Adobe Certified Advanced ColdFusion Developer > AFP Webworks > http://afpwebworks.com > ColdFusion 9 Enterprise, PHP, ASP, ASP.NET hosting from AUD$15/month > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/sql/message.cfm/messageid:3417 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/sql/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/sql/unsubscribe.cfm
