On our dev server, we're supporting both SQL 2000 and SQL 2005 instances.  Consequently, we have named instances for each of those.  I've been having trouble with a nightly copy database process, so I've been building many copy database packages using the wizard.  Since most have been failing, I wanted to manage the packages and delete those that were obviously not working. 

2005 did away with DTS packages, upgrading them to SSIS packages providing much greater control over what you can do in a package.  They also created a different mechanism for managing the packages.  To view them, you must connect to SQL Server Management Studio, and select Integration Services.  [Interestingly, you cannot connect to Integration Services using SQL Server Authentication, a serious downfall in my opinion.  Nor, for that matter, can you provide credentials to connect; yikes.]  When I tried to connect, I received the error message:

...SSIS service does not support multi-instance, just use server name instead of "server name\instance".

Interesting.  OK, so I took out the instance and received this message:

Client unable to establish connection
Encryption not supported on SQL Server. (Microsoft SQL Native Client)

Baffling, but I found the solution.  Since you cannot specify the instance, the SSIS service must be changed to point to the "correct" instance.  (I'm not sure how this will be solved with 2008, if you want to run 2008 & 2005 side-by-side.)  You do that by editing the config file MsDtsSvr.ini.xml which is located in [c:\program files]\Microsoft SQL Server\90\DTS\Binn.

The file should be changed to:

   1: =====================================

   2: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

   3: <DtsServiceConfiguration xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">

   4:   <StopExecutingPackagesOnShutdown>true</StopExecutingPackagesOnShutdown>

   5:   <TopLevelFolders>

   6:     <Folder xsi:type="SqlServerFolder">

   7:       <Name>MSDB</Name>

   8:       <ServerName>SQL_2K5_SERVER_NAME</ServerName>

   9:     </Folder>

  10:     <Folder xsi:type="FileSystemFolder">

  11:       <Name>File System</Name>

  12:       <StorePath>..\Packages</StorePath>

  13:     </Folder>

  14:   </TopLevelFolders> 

  15: </DtsServiceConfiguration>

  16: ===============================

where line 8 should change SQL_2K5_SERVER_NAME to the specific instance you wish to reach.

Yesterday, Gizmodo found pictures from the dbstalk forum of an on-the-horizon product from DirecTV called the HDPC-20.  Non geeks will look at this and say, "meh."  I look at it and say, "WOOOOWWWWIEE!"

The scans (front, back) from the brochure offer the following points of interest:

• "Use your computer as a DVR"
• "Enhanced user experience from PC power and Internet connection"
• Can stream all your media to multiple devices in the house (via Windows Media Center Extenders) such as other TVs and your Xbox 360

I've been warning (threatening?) my wife that I'm looking to geek up our TV watching experience by adding a PC and/or Mac to our mix.  The biggest reason for not jumping in with both feet is that I want the experience to be seamless.  I don't want my wife, or the babysitter to have to remember to change the tuner to "Video 2", then change the TV to the PC input - which isn't called PC, but rather "DVI 2" then... well, you get my point.  I want to say, "to watch TV, go to the easy-to-navigate menu and hit 'Live TV' and to see the last 5 episodes of Good Eats, go to 'Saved TV.'"

Even with the best of setups, current technology demands that you own a TiVo, a PC, and a DVD (read HD-DVD or Blu-Ray).  This setup fails at the Wife Acceptance Factor.

The HDPC-20 however, opens the door to a combined product which potentially replaces at least 3 products with one box playing Windows Media Center (yes, everyone on a Mac who wants to run OSX/Leopard just rolled their eyes; sorry, but it sucks to only have 8% of the market share sometimes) and getting all of the benefits of having an integrated experience, but not only integrated with TV and movies, but with music, pictures and the internet.  Check.  Mate.

The only downer is that the scans don't call out this product for being HD.  That likely means that it's not... which is significant.  (Another tell is that this product does not have a third coax for off-the-air HD broadcasting, which both DirecTV HD receivers have.)  Obviously, their R&D department is out of sync with their marketing department.  There is no way this product is taking off without HD, because 100% of the early adopters of this product are turbo geeks who have a big plasma or LCD in their house which is currently running HD.