When SQL Server 2005 launched, it included a slew of dynamic management objects (DMOs) that were meant to replace the system tables from previous SQL Server versions. As a stopgap, and part of the deprecation process, compatibility views for the system tables were provided. Their time is nearly up. If left uninterrupted, these views should no longer be available in the next release of SQL Server (post SQL Server 2012).
If you haven’t switched yet, SQL Server 2012 is the time to break free from the compatibility views and start using the DMOs that were created to replace these views. In this upcoming series of blog posts, each of the views will be described, and the data provided in them will be mapped to the DMO that represents the data that each contains. With that information, additional information in the DMOs will also be identified, along with any continuing gaps to the information made available.
The list of deprecated compatibility views are (with the post publication date):
- sysaltfiles
- syscacheobjects
- syscolumns
- syscomments
- sysconfigures
- sysconstraints
- syscurconfigs
- sysdatabases [July 8, 2012]
- sysdepends [July 9, 2012]
- sysdevices [July 10, 2012]
- sysfilegroups [July 11, 2012]
- sysfiles [July 12, 2012]
- sysforeignkeys [July 13, 2012]
- sysfulltextcatalogs [July 14, 2012]
- sysindexes [July 15, 2012]
- sysindexkeys [July 16, 2012]
- syslockinfo [July 17, 2012]
- syslogins [July 18, 2012]
- sysmembers [July 19, 2012]
- sysmessages [July 20, 2012]
- sysobjects [July 21, 2012]
- sysoledbusers [July 22, 2012]
- sysopentapes [July 23, 2012]
- sysperfinfo [July 24, 2012]
- syspermissions [July 25, 2012]
- sysprocesses [July 26, 2012]
- sysprotects [July 27, 2012]
- sysreferences [July 28, 2012]
- sysremotelogins [July 29, 2012]
- sysservers [July 30, 2012]
- systypes [July 31, 2012]
- sysusers [July 31, 2012]
As you read through the posts, if you have any information to add or have questions, please leave a comment. Some of the information in the system tables is a bit arcane and there may be holes in the information that I am able to research.
Related posts:
- Lost in Translation – Deprecated System Tables – sysconfigures
- Lost in Translation – Deprecated System Tables – syscurconfigs
- Lost in Translation – Deprecated System Tables – syscolumns
