Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and & NovaView Products Frequently Asked Questions.

We officially support SQL 2008 in our Ocrober 2008 Planned Fix release and higher.
This article includes all you would like to know regarding the work with Microsoft SQL 2008.

What is Panorama’s policy regarding supporting new products from Microsoft?

At Panorama Software, our goal is to be the first in the market to fully support new products from Microsoft, especially Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services. Our policy is to officially support new SQL Server releases within three months from the official release date. Usually, support of new products is aligned with the Planned Fix release schedule, issued at the end of every second month of the year.

When will Panorama officially support SQL Server 2008?

Panorama NovaView products will be officially compatible and optimized for SQL Server 2008 beginning at the end of October, 2008. The October Planned Fix will supply the necessary product updates.

Are earlier versions of NovaView compatible with SQL Server 2008?

Officially – no. However, Microsoft has invested special attention to backward compatibility for SQL Server 2008 and all the NovaView 5.0 SP1 (and later updates) products should work fine with SQL Server 2008.

What should be done with Panorama products once my servers are upgraded from SQL Server 2005 to SQL Server 2008?

The short answer is – nothing. NovaView automatically detects the version of SQL Server (along with the Analysis Services server) and, if necessary, performs the required changes. No special configuration needs to be done to make the NovaView server work with SQL Server 2008 and no changes need to be done to the views. However, if during the upgrade/migration process, the cube name or structure is changed, we then recommend testing all Panorama views for compatibility before rolling out to production as changing meta-data can affect NovaView views.

Does NovaView take advantage of the new features available in SQL Server 2008?

Most of the new functionality introduced in SQL Server Analysis Services 2008 is not directly related to NovaView’s functionalities.  The new features are more targeted towards solution developers. Other features are related to the inner mechanics of the Analysis Services server, it’s storage and calculation engines and also do not directly affect NovaView. On the MDX querying side, NovaView takes full advantage of the MDX language and all the available optimizations.

Is NovaView optimized for best performance against SQL Server 2008?

Yes. NovaView takes full advantage of the MDX query engine. NovaView products generate the most flexible and best performing MDX queries utilizing the full power of SQL Server 2008.

Is NovaView still good to run on SQL Server 2005?

Yes. NovaView supports earlier versions of SQL Server and Analysis Services servers and, if required, detects the SQL Server Analysis Services server version and generates the most optimized query for the specific product.

Does Panorama recommend upgrading to SQL Server 2008?

Panorama Software neither recommends nor opposes upgrading to SQL Server 2008. That being said, there is no need to upgrade because of NovaView. NovaView is compatible and would work with either version in the most optimized way. That being said, for NovaView’s purposes, it is entirely possible that SQL Server 2008 will perform better than SQL Server 2005, but this is not a general rule to go by.

Can NovaView work with SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008 simultaneously?

Yes. NovaView can work with multiple and heterogeneous data sources, including different versions of SQL Server and Analysis Services servers.

When did Panorama start testing its products on SQL Server 2008?

NovaView was tested with earlier versions of SQL Server 2008 in June, 2008. We tested it on sample data in-house and in cooperation with an enterprise customer on real data. In August, 2008 an updated line of NovaView products entered intensive QA cycle on the then-released SQL Server 2008.

What should be done once a problem is found?

Panorama is obligated to fix bugs and certainly SQL Server 2008 related bugs will be treated with higher priority. Updates are usually available via bi-monthly Planned Fixes however, in critical production situations, Panorama can react faster with a dedicated Hot Fix. If you experience any problems, please contact the Panorama Support Team.

Where can I get more information about SQL Server 2008 products and new features?

You can learn more about SQL Server 2008 from its official web site: http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/default.aspx

When Windows Server 2008 will be supported by Panorama Novaview?

Panorama Novaview will be officially supporting Windows Server 2008 on late 2009

< Prev		Next >