Ok its time to update your local copies of SQL Server 2008 Books OnLine (BOL) too, as we have RTM version in hand. You may have installed it during CTP releases and even during short-time of RC0 release, but as always it is a good practice to update as the current installation is latest and updated....

I have been spending a lot of time learning about SQL Server 2008 this past six months. I have attended conferences, on-line training, read articles and blogs, and have spent a lot of time reading SQL Server 2008 Books Online. When a new feature is discussed, like data compression, backup compression...

Did you think this post had something to do with the routers, switches and wires connecting SQL Server machines to the World Wide Web? If so you are wrong. This post has to do with my experience working one of the vendor booths at the “Heroes Happen Here” launch last week. For those of you that don’t...

Last week there was a forum post about getting certified for SQL Server. The poster was asking about resources and how one should prepare for the MCDBA certification. The MCDBA certification is a SQL Server 2000 certification. At one point a number of years back it was the certification to have if you...

During the various courses I've been teaching, people are interested in how FILESTREAM performance compares with storing BLOBs in the database itself. I have some performance graphs based on measurements the dev team made - these have been presented publicly by myself and the dev team so I can share...

Today, in a Microsoft SQL Server Blog http://blogs.technet.com/dataplatforminsider/archive/2008/01/25/microsoft-sql-server-2008-roadmap-clarification.aspx it was announced that SQL Server 2008 will not be released until the third quarter of 2008. In addition, during the SQL Server launch event scheduled...

Quickie today as I'm preparing to speak at the Pacific Northwest SQL Server User Group meeting tonight on the MS Campus here in Redmond (my trademark Detection and Recovery from Database Corruptions talk). SQL Server 2005 introduced the concept of hot-add memory, to allow for dynamic workload handling...