SQL Advisor

When Beta Apps Wreck Your System: A Lesson in SQL Server 2008 R2 Testing

I must have missed the memo about using beta software on real systems.

• By David Ramel
• 07/26/2011

OK, I need a little help here. I earlier wrote about a nightmare I endured (along with many others) with the evaluation version of SQL Server 2008 R2.

I was surprised to be ripped by readers. Turns out it was my fault. You're never supposed to install beta apps on a system you might want to use again. That was news to me. One reader wrote:

"By its very nature eval software is not to be installed on any machine you don't care about needing to be rebuilt from the ground up. Hasn't anybody ever read the warnings included with installation of eval software? If you are "experimenting" with new software on a machine that cannot be wiped and rebuilt then the onus is on YOU not Microsoft."

Another concurred:

"When using evaluation software you should always walk in the path that what you are installing it on may not be capable of running afterwards, no matter who wrote the software."

How did I miss this? Where are these "warnings"? Do Microsoft or other major vendors actually say that you should only use this stuff at your own risk because it might trash your computer? I looked around quickly on Microsoft's site but didn't see these warnings. Do they pop up when you install the software or are they in the EULA or somewhere else? I'd test this out by installing something and seeing what warnings I receive, but I'm afraid to now. Maybe I just click too quickly through all the screens during setup and have missed these warnings.

Anyway, reader No. 1 suggested using virtual machines. I've never tried these, frankly, so I'm looking for some advice. He mentioned a free server from Microsoft, what I presume is Virtual Server 2005 R2. Does anybody have any real-world experience with this? I have an underpowered Win 7 laptop so I'm kind of concerned about any additional load it will put on the system. And there must be myriad other details that real users can relate that aren't found in the documentation.

Also, are there any other free alternative virtual servers that anyone has hands-on experience with that might be useful for testing software?

Another reader mentioned he uses partitions for testing this stuff. But I've had bad experiences with partitioning disks before, too (hmm, maybe it's just me). What about you? Any suggestions or experiences to pass along with partitioning, or partitioning vs. virtualization?

So basically I'm looking to share with everyone any tips, warnings or ideas about virtualization or partitioning--or alternative methods to test software--that you'd care to provide. Please comment here or drop me a line.