So, it would appear that Windows Server Update System (WSUS, who names these things?) is running on SQL 2005 Embedded Edition. Raise your hand if you are running this edition. What’s that? No? Are you sure? I mean, the name implies it is embedded, and a quick look in the dictionary tells you that embedded means something similar to “cause to be an integral part of the whole”. Do you know what I take embedded to mean?
Stealth. Something that is there, you may or may not know about it, and there is little you can do about it. How did I even know about this version? Well, I am a huge fan of Tim Ford’s, and he happens to write for www.mssqltips.com. While browsing through the site, I came across this link, and then a light bulb went off. Well, more like a night light, but you get the idea.
We are running one of these systems. How do I know? Well, because the other day Robin was asking me about something named MICROSOFT##SSEE that was being displayed in a Database State view in Operations Manager. After hearing Robin chirp for a few minutes I dismissed him, as I was busy with a casting call for SQLCatwoman. I figured he was talking about the versions of SQL Express that continue to pop up. But, once the night light went off, I could not shake this feeling that I had one of these embedded editions, so I went to look for myself.
And there it was. Damn. Operations Manager, once again, is there to point out something that needs my attention. No way would I have ever built an in-house monitoring solution that would find this embedded edition. Now that I know about it I can go about making certain that the system is administered appropriately.
It’s amazing what lunacy comes from Microsoft eating its own dogfood. SUS was bad enough in previous versions – constantly crashing the SQL instance. Now this. Tsk Tsk Tsk.