Randy,
I *think* I can answer a few of your questions.
To start, if you use SSEE with WSUS or WSS, then it's the WID, get it? ; )
In otherwords, SQL server 2005 Embedded Edition *is* a Windows Internal
Database when used "embedded" with programs MS produces that need a database
to run where there may be none available. You can't get SSEE any other way.
I think, like WMSDE, there isn't the concurrent connection limit that there
was MSDE (therefore you are not limited to 5 connections concurrently). I
think they might've done away with that. I am not absolutely certain, but I
think it's true (and mind you, I only work with WSS 2/3, which uses
WMSDE/SSEE and doesn't have the limitations that come with the sharepoint
server's embedded database version) because nowhere have I found any comment
about there being a performance hit due to a concurrence limit. Also, in
all the documentation I have been able to find about SQL 2005, there is
absolutely no governer (the thing that limits concurrent connections), and I
am pretty sure that is the same in SSEE.
I am on the fence about supported RAM and CPU. WMSDE could support 2 GB RAM
and 2 CPUs, however, SQL 2005 Express can only support 1GB of RAM and 1 CPU.
So which way did SSEE go? Did it, in order to give MS's free stuff more
power, go with the WMSDE capabilities for SSEE, or did it use SQL Express's?
I don't know and that could matter down the road in terms of performance
(adding RAM to your server won't matter, having that extra CPU won't matter
either).
As far as Sharepoint, the biggest problem with SSEE (or WID) is the
performance limitations impressed by the potential of size limitation (which
apparently is a non-issue), CPU and RAM limits, lack of management tools,
and lack of remote access. You cannot support a server farm install with
SSEE because it cannot be connected to by another computer. However (but I
have never had time to try this), you can use SQL 2005 Express for a server
farm install. I think the lack of remote access support is a deliberate
disabling of the engine on the part of MS.
With WSS 2 there was a big problem with choosing to use the embedded WMSDE
database, and that was search. With WSS 2, search was not powered by
sharepoint itself (like it was with SPS), it was powered by the SQL content
databases it was using. And, wouldn't you know it, MS made sure that WMSDE
could not support full text indexing. Therefore, if you did a typical
install of WSS 2, you did not get a search field in the upper right corner
of any page on any site, ever.
That shortcoming no longer exists with WSS 3, because it has been given
sharepoint search (and other stuff) as a handmedown from SPS 2003 while SPS
was on it's way to becoming the great and all powerful MOSS.
Finally, I don't have a carved in stone list of differences between SSEE and
SQL Express. Man oh man, I wish I did.
HTH,
-callahan