I just did an install of SQL Server 2008 on a Windows Server 2008 virtual image. I documented my install for those of you that might need to have something compare to or if you are just curious of the process of the installation.
Before you begin, make sure your server meets the requirements for SQL Server 2008. You can find the requirements here.
After you enter your product key, you will have to agree to the licensing terms as usual. I think that Microsoft will some day embed something like "You agree to be our development slaves for life" and of course we won't read it and be stuck. :P
If you don't have all of the prerequisites already, the setup executable will install all of the support files as needed.
You will more than likely have a warning about your Windows Firewall being turned on. You can go through the message that is provided with the warning and open up the ports for services of SQL Server. This is not required to complete setup and can be adjusted later.
Check all of the services that you wish to install. Here I have chosen to install all of the services since this will be a demo virtual machine that I'm building.
If you are installing SQL Server 2008 without any other instances on the server already, you can just let it use the Default instance with the InstanceID of MSSQLSERVER. If you are installing it with another existing instance (even if the other instances are 2005 or 2000), then make a new Named Instance here.
This next screen is just a confirmation page making sure you have enough disk space and shows the disk cost of the options that you selected earlier.
By default, no accounts are setup to run SQL Server services. You will have to provide those accounts. You can use the same account for all of them. Be sure not to use an existing user's account since this is not a Best Practice. I went ahead and created a local account called "svc_sql" to handle the SQL Server service starting and stopping.
Here you have a choice of setting up Windows mode or Mixed mode. Windows mode will only allow WorkGroup or Domain Accounts to log onto the SQL Server. Mixed mode will allow you to use WorkGroup, Domain Accounts and SQL Server accounts. If you plan to use Mixed mode, you will have to supply a strong password for the SA account (default SQL Server login account).
Next, you can set up SQL Administrators from this page (Account Provisioning).
If you are installing SQL Reporting Services, you will have the option of installing it with the default configuration, SharePoint integrated, or install - but do not configure. I always like to have it install - but do not configure because I like to have control over it. You can always integrate it to SharePoint later which I'll talk about in another post sometime about the "good and bad" of integrating SQL Reporting Services with SharePoint.
This is a pre-installation checker. Hopefully, you'll have all "Passed" and no "Failed" or "Warnings". If you have Failed or Warnings, look into the issues and rerun the installation checker.
The last screen you'll see until post-installation will be the next image. If you have made it this far, then you should be good to go with your SQL Server 2008 installation.
Enjoy!
