SQL Server 2008 - November CTP (5) released

Today Microsoft released CTP 5 aka The November CTP of SQL Server. This release is a major step forward and includes 18 major improvements:

• Data Collection and Performance Warehouse for Relational Engine
• Service Broker Enhancements
• Registered Servers Enhancements
• Synchronous net-changes change tracking for SQL Server
• T-SQL IntelliSense
• Declarative Management Framework (DMF) Enhancements
• Geo-spatial Support
• Analysis Services Query and Writeback Performance
• Robust Report Server Platform
• Integration Services - Lookup Enhancements
• Analysis Services MDX Query Optimizer - Block Computation
• Analysis Services Aggregation Design
• Analysis Services Cube Design
• Reporting Services Scale Engine
• Transparent Data Encryption
• Resource Governor - Limit Specification
• Backup Compression
• Plan Freezing
• Fully Parallel Plans Scale on Partitioned Tables

Yoohoo, Intellisense is back and the stand alone Report Designer got a major GUI upgrade!!

You can read the details in the "What's new" doc for the November CTP.

Download it here.