Our BES admin was going to upgrade our BES server, which is running MSDE 2000.

He found KB article KB12174, which says "When using SQL 2005 Express Edition to hose the BlackBerry Configuration Database, BlackBerry Mobile Data System (Blackberry MDS) Services is not supported.".

Why not?

What does it need that SQL 2005 Express does not provide? Or is this an artificial limitation?

SQL 2005 Express has as many or more capabilities than MSDE - and allows an even larger database size and has no resource governor. So what is the reason?

Or does it work, but is just not "supported"?

I'm not sure why it's not supposed to be installed on SQL 2005 Express but I ask this of you:

Do you currently have MDSS installed? If not, do you know what this service is used for?

Just asking because people often confuse this with the web browsing service (MDS-CS in BES 4.1 and MDS in BES 4.0). The MDSS is used for deploying in-house applications. A user can use the MDS Runtime software which is connected to the MDSS. The user can search the available apps and download/install them.

If you are already aware of all this then I can't be of much help. Never heard of anyone with MDSS adn SQL 2005 Express yet. Would be good to know though.

You have a good point - if "MDSS" is different than "MDS", then maybe I am OK.

I know I am using MDS - the service that allows me to use the "Blackberry Browser" to access web apps within our internal network.

As for "MDSS", that I will have to check.

(If these are two different things, why the heck did RIM name them so similarly?)