Mitch Wheat - Treat the cause, not the symptoms!

The SQL Server 2008 Feature Pack for April 2009, a collection of stand-alone install packages that provide additional value for SQL Server 2008 has been updated:

• Microsoft ADOMD.NET - ADOMD.NET is a Microsoft .NET Framework object model that enables developers to create client-side applications that browse metadata and query data stored in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services.
• Microsoft Analysis Management Objects - Analysis Management Objects (AMO) is a .NET Framework object model that enables developers to create client-side applications to manage and administer Analysis Services objects.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services 10.0 OLE DB Provider - The Analysis Services 10.0 OLE DB Provider is a COM component that software developers can use to create client-side applications that browse metadata and query data stored in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Backward Compatibility Components - The SQL Server Backward Compatibility package includes the latest versions of the Data Transformation Services 2000 runtime (DTS), SQL Distributed Management Objects (SQL-DMO), Decision Support Objects (DSO), and SQL Virtual Device Interface (SQLVDI).
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Command Line Utilities - The SQLCMD utility allows users to connect to, send Transact-SQL batches from, and output rowset information from SQL Server 7.0, SQL Server 2000, SQL Server 2005, and SQL Server 2008 instances.
• SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP1 - SQL Server Compact is a free, easy-to-use embedded database engine that lets developers build robust Microsoft Windows desktop and mobile applications that run on all Windows operating systems including Windows XP, Vista, Pocket PC, and Smartphone.
• Microsoft Connector 1.0 for SAP BI - The Microsoft Connector for SAP BI is a set of managed components for transferring data to or from an SAP NetWeaver BI version 7.0 system.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Data Mining Add-ins for Microsoft Office 2007 - Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Data Mining Add-ins for Microsoft Office 2007 enables you to take advantage of SQL Server 2008 predictive analytics in Office Excel 2007 and Office Visio 2007.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Datamining Viewer Controls - The Data Mining Web Controls Library is a set of Microsoft Windows Forms controls that enable developers to display data mining models created using Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services in their client-side applications.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Driver for PHP - The SQL Server 2005 Driver for PHP is a PHP 5 extension that allows for accessing data in all Editions of SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008 (including Express Editions) from within PHP scripts.
• Microsoft Core XML Services (MSXML) 6.0 - Microsoft Core XML Services (MSXML) 6.0 is the latest version of the native XML processing stack.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 JDBC Driver 1.2 - Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) driver for SQL Server.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Management Objects - The SQL Server Management Objects (SMO) is a .NET Framework object model that enables developers to create client-side applications to manage and administer SQL Server objects and services.
• Microsoft OLEDB Provider for DB2 - The Microsoft OLE DB Provider for DB2 version 2.0 is a COM component for integrating vital data stored in IBM DB2 databases with new solutions based on Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Edition and Developer Edition.
• SQL Server Remote Blob Store - The SQL Server Remote Blob Store is a method for storing blobs of unstructured data in an external Content Addressable data store.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Native Client - Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Native Client (SQL Server Native Client) is a single dynamic-link library (DLL) containing both the SQL OLE DB provider and SQL ODBC driver. It contains run-time support for applications using native-code APIs (ODBC, OLE DB and ADO) to connect to Microsoft SQL Server 2000, 2005, or 2008.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Policies - Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Policies are examples of how you can take advantage of Policy Based Management. These policies will help you follow some of the SQL Server best practices and avoid common pitfalls.
• Microsoft Windows PowerShell Extensions for SQL Server - The Microsoft Windows PowerShell Extensions for SQL Server includes a provider and a set of cmdlets that enable administrators and developers to build PowerShell scripts for managing instances of SQL Server.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Replication Management Objects - The Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Replication Management Objects package includes API for managing SQL Server 2008 replication objects programmatically.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Report Builder 2.0 - Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Report Builder 2.0 provides an intuitive report authoring environment for business and power users with a Microsoft Office look and feel.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services Add-in for Microsoft SharePoint Technologies - Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services Add-in for SharePoint Technologies allows you to take advantage of SQL Server 2008 report processing and management capabilities in SharePoint integrated mode.
• Microsoft SQL Service Broker External Activator - This an extension of the Internal Activation feature in SQL Server 2008 and lets you move the logic for receiving and processing Service Broker messages from the Database Engine service to an application executable that runs outside the Database Engine service.
• Microsoft SQL Server System CLR Types - The SQL Server System CLR Types package contains the components implementing the new geometry, geography, and hierarchyid types in SQL Server 2008.
• Microsoft SQLXML 4.0 SP1 - SQLXML enables XML support for your SQL Server Database. It allows developers to bridge the gap between XML and relational data.
• Microsoft Sync Framework - Microsoft Sync Framework is a comprehensive synchronization platform that enables collaboration and offline access for applications, services and devices. Using the Microsoft Sync Framework runtime, developers can build sync ecosystems that integrate any application, with any data from any store using any protocol over any network. Sync Services for ADO.NET is a part of the Microsoft Sync Framework. Sync Services for ADO.NET enables synchronization between ADO.NET enabled databases. For more information about the Microsoft Sync Framework, please go to Microsoft Sync Framework Developer Center.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Upgrade Advisor - Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Upgrade Advisor analyzes instances of SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005 in preparation for upgrading to SQL Server 2008.

The Data-mining add-ins for Excel 2007 and the Sync Framework are definitely worth a look if you haven’t seen them before.