Microsoft Sql Server 2008 February 2008 CTP Released

Well even though the full release of SQL Server 2008 has been pushed to late second half of the year, the latest CTP was delivered on time.  This is the first feature complete CTP released.  It includes increased functionality around data compression, policy-based management enhancements, and integrated full-text searching.

I'm looking forward trying some of the other more BI-focused functionality out. 

• Improved memory management of reporting services - Reporting Services will no longer use IIS, one less bottleneck the better
• Tablix report component -  a cross between a table and a matrix.  I can't count how many times I had to stick a table and matrix right against each other to get this functionality
• Merge t-sql statement - a replacement for having to use existing statements before doing inserts or updates
• Reporting Services export to Word - why it wasn't in there from the beginning is a mystery
• Date / Time types - they were supposed to be in 2005
• Spatial Data types - a great addition especially for mapping visualizations
• Table Value Parameters - now we don't have use a delimited string along with a parsing function

I wish they added more SharePoint integration functions.

Here is a link to where you can download the CTP.  Also, here is a link to the BOL.  After I delve into the CTP, I'll post my impressions and findings.