SQL 2008 R2 Upgrade

I set aside some time today to install the latest SQL 2008 R2 CTP. You can download the CTP yourself by clicking on this link. I have a handful of test servers that I can use to install the CTP onto, and the idea was to do an in-place upgrade on an existing SQL 2008 Enterprise instance.

The first stumbling block I had was with the R2 versions. Apparently, they are free. Except for Enterprise. That comes with a 180-day expiration. So, I would be upgrading from a licensed 2008 instance to an R2 instance that would expire in less than six months. I tried to enter in our product key but was denied, so I pressed on with the R2 Enterprise version because I am counting on having to rebuild this box in the next six months anyway.

Things were going fine from there until I got to the part of the install that checks to see if there is anything that will prevent the install from being successful. And that is when I saw this (click for full image):

It says ‘Rule “SQL Server 2008 Feature Upgrade” failed. The specified edition upgrade is not supported. For information about supported upgrade paths, see the SQL Server 2008 version and edition matrix in Books Online.’

A quick check with my junior DBA and I was pointed to this Connect item: https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=482285 and inside that Connect item I found the link to the matrix http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143393%28SQL.105%29.aspx.

So, if you are part of the cabal known as the “TAP”, then apparently you will be allowed to do this upgrade. I don’t know why that would be the case, it would seem to me that Microsoft would want to let me use this CTP. Perhaps they are trying to help me not shoot myself in the foot somehow, but for reasons that I do not understand at the moment.

Anyway, I decided to go back to the beginning and do a new install on the box. This time I got a different error during the Rule Check (click for full image):

This error did not appear automagically, I had to click on the ‘Warning’ hyperlink in the results window. Still, now I only get a warning about the fact that the shared components will be upgraded automatically? Before I was not even allowed to proceed with an upgrade because I am not in the right network of friends, but I am allowed to do a named instance and I only get a warning. Not sure this makes sense to anyone else, but I am sure there is a reason for making me go this route.

I named the instance “turbaconducken” because it is lunchtime and I am hungry. It is finishing up now and I hope to get started playing with some of the new features in R2 soon.