Upgrade SQL Server Evaluation edition to license Edition of SQL Server

The SQL Server Evaluation Edition is a great way to get a fully functional and free instance of SQL Server for learning and developing solutions. The edition has a built in expiry of 6 months from the time that you install it.

One of my client doesn't have licensed key for SQL Server and they have planned to add key later. To apply licensed key to an existing evaluation edition of SQL Server is different from windows. Follow the below procedure.

In below screenshot, SQL Server is Enterprise evaluation edition.

Upgrade SQL Server Evaluation edition to license Edition of SQL Server

Step 1:

 Mount SQL Server licensed setup file to the server.

 Launch SQL Server "setup.exe", select maintenance tab and select edition upgrade.

Step 2:

Enter the licensed product Key and click next

Step 3:

Continue with running Edition Upgrade Rules

Step 4:

Select the instance name that you want to upgrade

Step 5:

Select upgrade to proceed with upgrade process and close it once successfully upgraded

In below screenshot, SQL Server Edition is successfully upgraded.

Editions Of SQL Server

There are different editions of SQL Server with different features. Which will provide wide range of options to choose from to match our business requirements.

• Enterprise: This is the high-end edition with the full features. It supports systems up to 2 TB RAM. The maximum size of the database is 524 PB.

• Standard: It has less features than Enterprise, but it is a good choice when advanced functions (such as data compression, compressed backups, indexed views, etc.) are not required for the business. It supports systems up to 4 CPU and 64 GB RAM.

• Workgroup: it is suitable for remote offices of a larger company. It supports systems up to 2 CPU and 4 GB RAM.

• Web: it is designed for web applications. It supports 4 CPU without memory limitations.

• Developer: similar to Enterprise, but licensed to only one user for development, testing and demo. It can be easily upgraded to Enterprise without reinstallation.

• Express: free entry-level database. It can utilize only 1 CPU and 1 GB memory, the maximum size of the database is 10 GB.

• Compact: free embedded database for mobile application development. The maximum size of the database is 4 GB.

Log File Architecture in SQL Server

 Whenever any query is processed, the data will be passed to Data file. Below is the process how a query is processed in SQL Server/ Importance of Log File Architecture:

• Database has Data file and Log file.
• The query statement is passed to the buffer cache and log cache.
• The data in the buffer cache is called as Dirty Data or Dirty Blocks.
• Buffer cache contains the dirty data (the updated data corresponding to the query given in the application).
• The process of writing the data from buffer cache to the data files of the database in the form of chuncks is
  called as Checkpoint Process.
• Each chunck contains 512 KB.
• The query is written into the log file from the log cache.
• If any type of failure occurs while writing data to the data file, then the query in the log file is executed at the last commit transaction processed (refer commit process down) and the remaining data is written to the database whenever we start the server.
• This process of writing data to the database after a failure from the log file is called as Recovery.
• Procedure Cache contains the execution plan.
• Context Cache contains the data of the stored procedure.
• Server Level Data Structure contains the Server level information.

Commit Process:

• As soon as commit statement is written to the log file it throws a token to the user that commit is completed successfully (Ex. 1 row affected), this process is called as Commit Process.