Flare v4 & SQL SERVER 2005

[sstraw]

My development/editing system already has the full-blown version of MS SQL Server 2005 installed. The System Requirements for Flare V4 include:

"Microsoft SQL Compact Edition (except on Windows 2000) (Installed on first use run of Flare)"

Sure enough, when I launch Flare V4 after installing it, it prompts to install SQL Compact Edition. I'm not confident that this won't somehow hose something in my config, and frankly, I'm a bit miffed that the product can't comprehend that it has a more capable version of the MS SQL server already running (and, sucking up system resources). I've done websearches for co-existence of the two, and mostly what I see is references to installing two separate versions of SQL (like 2000 and 2005). The System Requirements list doesn't indicate what _version_ of Compact Edition it is going to install either...

I need to get moving with the V4 install, but I won't proceed until I know I won't chuff my world.

I'm somewhat curious what V4 uses SQL for - if it is storing project data in SQL, I rather expect that V4 projects will NOT be backwards compatible with V3.1. I have 3.1 installed (from the initial eval of Flare), and it had no similar SQL requirement, so would obviously be unable to process whatever is being stored in SQL. BTW, reading various posts on this forum relating to performance loss with V4, I'll be the new SQL requirement doesn't help.

MadCappers: if someone might contact me about getting install keys for V3.1, that'd be great. Our purchasing guy ended up getting V4 and a maintenance contract, even though I'd advised him that we should buy V3.1 to start, and the maintenance contract would cover the update to V4 anyway...

[RamonS]

I installed V4 on a system with SQL Server Developer Edition and nothing got hosed despite the SQL Compact install. From what I understand, SQL Compact is like copying in an Access database with the difference that this time things will work alright.
MadCap used SQL Express before or allowed to use MS SQL Server 2005, but many complained about this extra step. And to be honest, MS SQL Server isn't the easiest application to be deployed. It's installer is cumbersome and takes forever (in comparison to other SQL Servers such as MySQL). Given what Flare needs from a database running even SQL Express is probably overkill. I use SQL 2005 on a daily basis and haven't found any impact of SQL Compact being installed side by side.

[sstraw]

Thanks for the prompt followup.

In case anyone else comes wondering, Flare V4 is installing MS SQL Compact Edition v3.5

[RamonS]

You are welcome! Uh, and welcome to the forums!

[LTinker68]

I'm somewhat curious what V4 uses SQL for - if it is storing project data in SQL...

It's for the Analyzer scanning/reporting options inside Flare v4.

I rather expect that V4 projects will NOT be backwards compatible with V3.1.

If you had the full version of Analyzer, then you'll want to delete the Analyzer folder that's in the root of the project folder (i.e., delete it via Windows Explorer as you won't see it in the Project Explorer pane). It's not recommended that you go back to v3.1 after opening a project in v4 because v4 will make modifications to the stylesheet that aren't recognized by v3.1 so it'll give you some errors.

I have 3.1 installed (from the initial eval of Flare), and it had no similar SQL requirement...

Because v3.1 didn't have any Analyzer-type scanning/reporting capabilities.

MadCappers: if someone might contact me about getting install keys for V3.1, that'd be great.

This is a peer-to-peer forum. Although MadCap Support reviews posts occasionally, it's not a top priority for them since it's not an official support option, so it'll be faster to contact MadCap sales directly.

[helen]

Well it didn't chuff my world but I did check with our DB admin before I went installing stuff (I was just as nervous)! Im running .NET 2.0 and full blown SQL 2005 and none of the stuff (.NET 3.0 and SQL Express) that I've had to install for the Madcap suite has affected anything else *touch wood*.

[wclass]

We have the same situation with the full SQL, and have just installed v4 OK. In the past we had problems with SQL Express when we tried to run a trial version of Analyzer - it never worked so we were a bit hesitant as well. We put v4 on test machine and everything was fine - and we've now installed it on our work machines alongside 3.1 with no problems.

[RamonS]

SQL Express 2005 and SQL Server 2005 also live happily next to each other when you use named instances. Been there, done that, still think MySQL or PostGres is better for most things.