Microsoft SQL Server 2008 is a database platform for large-scale online transaction processing (OLTP), data warehousing, and e-commerce applications; it is also a business intelligence platform for data integration, analysis, and reporting solutions.
SQL Server 2008 introduces "studios" to help you with development and management tasks: SQL Server Management Studio and Business Intelligence Development Studio. In Management Studio, you develop and manage SQL Server Database Engine and notification solutions, manage deployed Analysis Services solutions, manage and run Integration Services packages, and manage report servers and Reporting Services reports and report models. In BI Development Studio, you develop business intelligence solutions using Analysis Services projects to develop cubes, dimensions, and mining structures; Reporting Services projects to create reports; the Report Model project to define models for reports; and Integration Services projects to create packages.
