Backoffice 2000

Microsoft's server toolset for Windows2000 has seemed very slow coming - we having been waiting for a year after the release of Windows2000 Server to get the tools to use it properly!
However, as the products arrive they are proving well thought out and, with the new products in the set, squarely targeting the enterprise development market.

We will be adding to this as we review the products further. (To keep up to date with the products as they come out get an MSDN Subscription.)

SQLServer 2000

SQLServer 2000 was one of the first products released, in October 2000, but was available in a stable beta for many months previously.
The most obvious improvements and additions are: 

• Enterprise features:  lots of new features to support:  failover clustering, distributed and replicated databases, distributed queries (running across multiple machines), Analysis Services (OLAP) and improved online backup.
• XML integration which goes far beyond the SQLXML addon for SQLServer7 and allows the whole database to be mapped to XML Schemas (eg Biztalk), as well as accessed over HTTP.  The SQL Statement "Select  ..  FOR XML" allows completely customisable XML formats to  be produced.
• improved database features:
  • User-defined functions [as available for years in Oracle]  
  • Enhanced Views:  views of data can now be indexed and updated as tables:
    • Indexes on views:  an indexed view is kept up to date as underlying data changes, the index saves a join having to be performed at runtime, so will be most useful for read-intensive applications. 
    • Triggers on views:  a new type of trigger called 'instead of update' and 'instead of insert' allows a client to issue an update statement on a view.  Instead of actually updating the view, the database calls the 'instead of' trigger which has to be written to perform the appropriate action
  • Description attribute on columns (an obvious addition to help create self-documenting database designs..)

BizTalk Server

Finally, a solution to the problem of sending data between different systems and checking it gets there ok!
Through the 90s most of the banks had problems integrating disparate systems, and most developed their own reconciliation systems (including one developed at UBS by eWay founder Jonathan Moore). 

Now, with Biztalk Server, Microsoft have come with a tool that can be used to solve all these problems straight out of the box.  Data feeds and reconciliations are now an administrative rather than a programming task thanks to simple graphical interface.

Biztalk Server has been much publicised for it's XML interfaces and ability to understand and manage mappings between XML schemas - but it is not limited to XML feeds only, more powerful than that, it's a tool for integrating your existing feeds and legacy systems too.

Commerce Server 2000

MS Commerce Server 2000 has only just arrived (Feb 2001).  Expect more here soon!
[The previous version did not even install on Windows2000 so this is about time!]