Two major releases—the next versions of SQL Server (code-named Yukon) and Visual Studio (code-named Whidbey)—have been delayed to the first half of 2005. The decision will disappoint developers who have been waiting for the improved Web development and Visual Basic capabilities of Whidbey, and it could mean higher upgrade costs for organizations purchasing Yukon upgrades on long-term contracts. However, the delays will probably have only minor effects on the next version of the Windows client OS, code-named Longhorn.

The Price of Integration

Microsoft says the delay is intended to give it more time to test Whidbey and Yukon, which are now officially called Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005. SQL Server 2005, like SQL Server 7.0, will have three beta releases: Beta 1, currently in progress, will be followed by a Beta 2 in the first half of 2004 and Beta 3 before the end of 2004.

The company did not specify which product areas require more testing, but the delayed releases present some unique challenges.

First, SQL Server is getting major changes. It will integrate the .NET Framework 2.0 run-time system for server-side programming. Its storage engine and query processor are also being extended to support user-defined data types and XML query capabilities.

Second, Visual Studio must change in sync to support the new SQL Server programming interfaces that result. This integration delivers many benefits for database developers, but it makes the integration test cycles and overall product schedules particularly hard to predict.

Finally, the SQL Server team historically has been willing to trade delays for higher product reliability—imperative as the product continues to seek headway against Oracle and IBM DB2 at the high end of the database market. Heightened security awareness, brought on by the 2003 SQL Slammer worm attacks, has probably raised the group's high bar even higher.

Impact on Contracts, Support, Developers

The delay of SQL Server 2005 (originally scheduled for 2003) and Visual Studio 2005 has impact in three major areas:

SQL Server upgrade contracts. Some customers bought two years of Upgrade Advantage (UA) or Software Assurance (SA) coverage for SQL Server during a transition period that ended in mid-2002, hoping to gain upgrade rights to SQL Server 2005 for a discount off the full product price. Now those customers must purchase two to three more years of coverage to get SQL Server 2005, for an additional 50% to 75% of full product price. If the release slips into the second half of 2005, even customers who bought three years of SA during the introductory period might have to re-commit for up to three years, or pay full price.

Support for SQL Server 2000, 7.0. Mainstream support expires for the two current versions of SQL Server in Dec. 2005: only paid support, free security hotfixes, and Web self-help will be available after this date. Microsoft might extend this date as it has for other products in the past, but it has not announced plans to do so.

Web developers. Visual Studio 2005 will deliver common infrastructure for important Web development tasks such as personalization and content management. Now Web developers must decide whether to build or buy this infrastructure, or wait for its arrival in Visual Studio. The wait will be particularly frustrating for Web developers who don't intend to use the new server-side programming features of SQL Server.

Visual Basic (VB) developers. The delay also affects VB 6.0 developers who were waiting for Whidbey and its superior VB programming environment before moving to VB.NET. They will now have to move to the less capable environment of Visual Studio 2003 or remain on the aging VB 6.0, which exits mainstream support Mar. 31, 2005.

Longhorn Impact Unlikely

The delays are unlikely to slow the progress of Longhorn, the next Windows client OS. Longhorn's WinFS file system will incorporate database components derived from SQL Server. However, Longhorn is likely too far off, and the Windows team too focused on Windows XP Service Pack 2, for a SQL Server delay to impact its schedule.

The delay could, however, slow work of other Microsoft groups. Most notably, it could delay the next generation of the Windows SharePoint Services Web hosting system, which in turn could delay upgrades to e-business and portal products such as Content Management Server and SharePoint Portal Server.

Resources

SQL Server Yukon's new data types and server-side programming are summarized in "SQL Server Gets .NET, XML" on page 5 of the Jan. 2004 Update.

Web development with Visual Studio Whidbey is covered in "ASP.NET Gets Major Improvements" on page 12 of the Feb. 2004 Update.

Visual Basic programming features of Whidbey are outlined in "Visual Studio 'Whidbey' Details Emerge" on page 12 of the Oct. 2003 Update.

Recent roadmap changes for e-business and portal products are analyzed in "E-Business Roadmap Shifts".

Software Assurance benefits and renewal considerations are laid out in "Software Assurance Approaching Critical Deadline".