Should you upgrade from 2000 to 2005 or 2008? My advice: move to SQL Server 2005 with Service Pack 2 now, as SQL Server 2008 needs time to settle.
SQL SERVER – 2008 – November CPT5 New Improvement
What is new in the SQL Server 2008 November CPT5 build: IntelliSense, Resource Governor, backup compression, Transparent Data Encryption and geo-spatial support.
SQL SERVER – Shrinking Truncate Log File – Log Full – Part 2
About a year ago, I wrote SQL SERVER – Shrinking Truncate Log File – Log Full. I was just going through some of the earlier posts and comments.
SQL SERVER – Generate Incremented Linear Number Sequence
A reader asked how to generate an incremented linear number sequence in SQL Server, like a sequence in Oracle. A short WHILE loop script does it.
SQL SERVER – Sharpen Your Skills: Joins, Groupings, and Data Types
My article in SQL Server Magazine November 2007, Sharpen Your Skills, covered joins, groupings and data types. The article has moved, so the links are off.
Preview Builds: What You May and May Not Do With Them
Preview Builds are useful for SQL Server evaluation when you check license terms, isolate test data, and plan for disposal instead of upgrade.
Onboarding a New DBA
Onboarding a new DBA starts with safe access, a server map, tested runbooks, and a first month of supervised operational tasks.
SQL SERVER – 2005 – Best Practices for SQL Server Health Check
Best practices for a SQL Server Health Check: run one every 6 to 12 months, document everything, and plan fixes afterward instead of fixing during the check.
SQL SERVER – Generate Script with Data from Database – Database Publishing Wizard
Need to copy data along with the schema? The Database Publishing Wizard scripts schema, data or both into one SQL file you can run on another server.
Comparing Server Settings Across Instances
Comparing server settings across SQL Server instances shows configured and live values, so you can judge which differences affect a workload.