64-Bit Versions

64-bit versions do not provide all features of SSIS and more limitations are found compared to 64-bit platforms of AMD and Itanium.  All possible SSIS designs and run components are installed by 64-bit SQL Server 2005. The 64-bit versions are placed in “Program Files” and 32-bit versions in “Program Files (x86)”.

64-Bit Version Limitations

The 64-bit version of SSIS has certain limitations and issues of compatibility. Itanium 64-bit computers do not support Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS) which therefore cannot be installed on this platform. However AMD 64-bit computers support and can install BIDS. Only a few SSIS 64-bit tools like dtexec, dtutil and the SQL Server Import and Export Wizard are native and supported in installation of SSIS on 64-bit servers. Most other tools belong to 32-bit version. Packages from SQL Server Management Studio are run by the 32-bit dtexecui utility, the UI version of the exec utility. Therefore the packages are run in 32-bit mode. The SQL Server Message Queue task being of 64 or 32 bit can only run those packages that run in a mode same as the SQL Server installation. Installing 64-bit SQL version means running of the Message Queue task only in packages running on 64-bit mode. The 32-bit execute package utility cannot be used to run the Message Queue task. Since the running of SQL Server Agent is on 64-bit platforms in 64-bit mode, the 64-bit dtexec utility is used in the jobs done with the steps of SSIS package execution type and the jobs are run in 64-bit mode. For packages to be run in 32-bit mode, operating system type step has to be used along with use in the command line of 32-bit version dtexec. No backward compatibility with DTS packages is supported by 64-bit SQL Server 2005 unlike earlier versions of SQL.

Mixed Environment

Compatibility issues should be taken care of for using a 32-bit and 64-bit mixed environment of SQL Server 2005 IS. Some other package development issues are also to be attended.