SQL Server 2008 New features

1)

SQL Server 2008's data compression enables you to compress data stored in the database. This reduces storage requirements and can actually improve the performance of workloads that have high I/O requirements. SQL Server 2008 also supports compressing backups.

2)

The Database Engine introduces a new user-defined table type that supports representing table structures for use as parameters in stored procedures and functions, or in a batch or the body of a stored procedure or function. You can create unique constraints and primary keys on user-defined table types.

3) Merge

This new Transact-SQL statement performs INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE operations on a target table based on the results of a join with a source table. The syntax allows you to join a data source with a target table or view, and then perform multiple actions based on the results of that join.

4)

SQL Server 2008 introduces two spatial data types: geometry and geography. The geometry data type supports planar, or Euclidean (flat-earth), data. The geography data type stores ellipsoidal (round-earth) data, such as GPS latitude and longitude coordinates. These new data types support the storage and manipulation of spatial data objects such as linestrings, points, and polygons.

5)

SQL Server 2008 introduces a new system-provided data type to encapsulate hierarchical relationships. Use hierarchyid as a data type to create tables with a hierarchical structure or to reference the hierarchical structure of data in another location. Use hierarchical methods to query and perform work with hierarchical data by using Transact-SQL.