I have been busy for the last few weeks trying to get a MS SQL2000 install updated to MS SQL2005 due to needing the Reporting Services at SQL 2005 so I can develop Reports for MS CRM 3.0. This is probably the worst experience I have ever had in terms of software compatability!
One of my co-workers actually got an instance of SQL2000 Server to upgrade to SQL2005 Server which was running MS CRM 3.0 but the Reporting Server failed at every attempt to upgrade to 2005! I tried to fix it and screwed it up so much we had to restore the image we had prior to doing the initial upgrade of SQL Server 2000. We are now looking at how we can do the migration without bringing the servers down!
Here is the problem.
I have a fully functioning copy of Visual Studio 2005 with all the bells and whistles on it! It allows me to create reports locally using the SQL2000 database but will not allow those reports to run on the report server. The reports have to be created using Visual Studio 2003 to allow them to run on SQL Report Server 2000.
I have a Standard Edition of Visual Studio C# which I download the additional Report development module from MS. I can create reports using the SQL2000 database but I cannot test the reports locally because I need the Enterprise Version of Visual Studio 2003! It allows me to see the data and check the SQL, but it does not allow me to create a data connection to the server! Oh and the new software is about $1600 if you can find a copy. Why offer a module for a Development Environment that doesnt allow the full functionality?
I also have Visual Studio C++ Proffessional Edition but it has not reporting Services module available! I also have the Express versions of C#, C++ and webdeveloper all of which dont allow me to create reports!
When you install SQL2005 you automatically get a copy of the Visual Studio to installon the same SQL Server, I could connect via Remote Desktop and use this copy if only the reports I create would run on SQL 2000.
We have also tried to upgrade the CRM DB to 2005 (that worked) installed a new instance of Report Server (that worked) and then migrated the data from the old report Server DB to the new copy (that worked after a lot of problems) but the report server wont run the reports!
Next option is to try to install SQL 2005 server and report server of the same version, then install a fresh copy of CRM 3.0 over the SQ2005 Server instance. Once we get to there, we should be able to migrate the Data from the existing (production) database to the new SQL2005 install and point everything at that instance! Perhaps we also need to try the upgrade of the CRM SQL2000 server to SQL Server 2005 before we have to migrate the data??? Add to this the problems we have had with ASP.Net versions and the IIS server allowing the applications to be installed then when you try to start them fall over saying you cant run 2 versions of ASP.Net in the same IIS website!!!
As you can see this is not something which gives you a good feeling about the integration of MS products.  So if you have to make choices about what software to choose consider what you might come across when you try to get a new product from the same company to talk with the other!
Chris…