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SQL Server Articles

A High Level Comparison Between Oracle and SQL Server - Part IV
The concluding part of the Oracle / SQL Server comparison looks at error logging, security, installation and finally querying the databases.

A High Level Comparison Between Oracle and SQL Server - Part III
Part III of the Oracle / SQL Server comparison looks at the configuration options for each database, their storage options as well as the startup and shutdown procedures.

A High Level Comparison Between Oracle and SQL Server - Part II
Part II or the Oracle / SQL Server comparison dives deeper into databases by exploring the architectural differences.

A High Level Comparison Between Oracle and SQL Server
Part I of the Oracle / SQL Server comparison looks at the various editions of each database and their structure.

SQL Server 2008 R2 Multi-server Administration - A First Look
One of the most useful new features of SQL 2008 R2 for DBA’s is the ability to manage and administer multiple instances of SQL Server from a central location using the new SQL Server Utility tool.

An overview of Master Data Services - MDS in SQL Server 2008 R2
With Master Data Services, IT organizations can centrally manage critical data assets companywide.

Upgrade SSIS 2005 Packages to SSIS 2008
Follow this setp-by-step walkthrough to upgrade your SSIS 2005 packages to 2008

Copy Only Backups for Adhoc Backups
Copy only backups are independent of the sequence of normal SQL Server backups and are useful for ah-hoc scenarios where a backup/restore is necessary.

Using The Data Mining Query Task in SSIS
The Data Mining Query Task can be used to run prediction queries based on data mining models built in analysis service.

ASP.NET 4.0 - New Features
ASP.NET 4.0 is just around corner - discover the new features and enhancements.

50 Tips to Boost Performance of an ASP.NET Application - Part 2
50 Best Practices to ensure you maximize the performance and scalability of your application. Part 2 - Best Practices 26-50

50 Tips to Boost Performance of an ASP.NET Application - Part 1
50 Best Practices to ensure you maximize the performance and scalability of your application. Part 1 - Best Practices 1-25

Understanding WCF Hosting
This article examines the different hosting options for WCF.

SQL Server Logical Reads – What do they really tell us?
SQL Server trace, the most common tool DBAs use to evaluate query performance, provides the ‘logical reads’ counter on which many DBAs rely for evaluating a query’s I/O performance. In this article, we will examine this counter’s true meaning and provide examples that prove it can sometimes be quite misleading…

Using Analysis Services Processing Task & Analysis Services Execute DDL Task in SSIS
Learn how the Analysis Services Processing Task can be used to process analysis services objects such as cubes, dimensions and mining models.

Using WMI Data Reader and WMI Event Watcher Tasks in SSIS
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Tasks within SSIS can be used by to read WMI data and to watch for WMI events.

Auditing in SQL Server 2008
Auditing is not only used to ensure internal compliance with authorization rules, it is increasingly used to comply with new legal compliance requirements. This article provides a detailed walkthrough for using SQL Server 2008's new inbuilt Audit feature.

SQL Server Employment Trends
The latest employment trends in the SQL Server marketplace.

Introduction to SQL Azure
Learn how to get started working with SQL Azure and migrating SQL Server databases to SQL Azure.

Writing Custom Rules for FxCop
FxCop is a useful tool for analyzing code to highlight potential issues and deviations from best practise. To fully utilize to power of FxCop, custom rules can be added to the inbuilt rules that ship with FxCop.

Tuning SQL Server 2005 Integration Services for EBCDIC Data Conversion
Loading EBCDIC data into SQL Server is not a well documented process - this article provides a very useful guide to optimizing the performance of this operation.

Using The Transfer Jobs Task in SQL Server Integration Services
Database Administrators can use the Transfer Jobs Task to transfer one or more SQL Server Agent Jobs between different SQL Server instances

Using Transfer Error Messages and Transfer Master Stored Procedures Tasks in SSIS
DBA's can use the Transfer Error Messages and Transfer Master Stored Procedures tasks to transfer error messages and stored procedures between difference SQL Server instances.

Migrating SQL Server Databases - The DBA's Checklist (Part 3)
The final part of the series will examine full text catalogs and indexing, database collation, service broker considerations, encryption and high availability.

Migrating SQL Server Databases - The DBA's Checklist (Part 2)
Part 2 of the database migration series examines setting database options, mapping database users to logins, recovery models, backups, and changing the code associated with configurations.

Migrating SQL Server Databases - The DBA's Checklist (Part 1)
Migrating a database is often a task fraught with complications, this series examines the key issues in a simple checklist.

SQL Server Security Audit (Part 3) - Operating System Level Audit
The final part of the Security Audit series examines how to secure the Windows Server operating system.

Understanding Scans And Seeks
Whether a query uses Scan or Seek can have a big impact on the cost of excuting that query. This article examines when each is used and which is optimal.

SQL Server Security Audit (Part 2) - Database Level Audit
The second in the Security Audit series looks at securing an individual database.

SQL Server Analysis Services ( SSAS ) - Introduction
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services (SSAS) delivers both online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining functionality for business intelligence applications. This article thoroughly explores the architecture of SSAS and how it can be implemented.

SQL Server Security Audit (Part 1) - Server Level Audit
The first of this three part series on SQL Server Security Auditing focuses on the SQL Server itself and addressing any of its security vulnerabilities.

Using Transfer SQL Server Objects Task and Execute SQL Tasks in SSIS
The Transfer SQL Server Objects Tasks is a very useful tool in SQL Server 2005 to move objects between SQL Server Instances.

12 Essential Steps After Installing SQL Server
Rolling out SQL Servers is a key task for DBAs, this articles provides 12 essential post-installation steps.

Storage Modes in SSAS (MOLAP, ROLAP and HOLAP)
There are three standard storage modes (MOLAP, ROLAP and HOLAP) in OLAP applications which affect the performance of OLAP queries and cube processing, storage requirements and also determine storage locations.

Context Switching or Database Impersonation using EXEC AS
SQL Server 2005/2008 provides the ability to change the execution and security context with the EXEC or EXECUTE AS clause to allow a user to perform high privileged activities without allowing the user to have high privilege access.

Transfer Logins Task and Transfer Database Task in SSIS
The Transfer Logins and Transfer Database tasks can be used in combination to easily and efficient migrate databases and users across different SQL Servers.

Working with Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)
WCF unifies a variety of communication technologies. This intro explains the advantages WCF and how to get started using this technology.

Practical Database Change Management (Part 2)
The final article on Change Management examines the more technical aspects of Change Management.

Practical Database Change Management (Part 1)
Changing a database an integral and crucial part in every application's life cycle. Part 1 of this series looks at the steps and procedures prior to implementing the change

Execute SQL and Bulk Insert Tasks in SSIS
Learn how the Execute SQL and Bulk Insert tasks can be combined to create a database and insert data into the database.

Change Tracking in SQL Server 2008
Change tracking is a lightweight solution which provides an efficient change tracking mechanism for applications.

Using The Data Profiler Task and FTP Task in SQL Server 2008 Integration Services
See how the data preparation tasks within SSIS can be used to retrieve data or to validate the quality of data.

Using Web Service and XML Tasks in SQL Server 2008 Integration Services
Follow a detailed walkthrough of using the Web Service Task to connect to a web service and return an XML result.

Using The File System Task in SQL Server 2008 Integration Services
This article examines the File System Task which can perform numerous operations on files and directories such as create, move, delete, and also to set the attributes of files and folders.

Configuring the Maximum Degree of Parallelism
How to configure settings to limit the number of processors used in parallel query execution

Container Tasks in SQL Server 2008 Integration Services
Learn how container control flow tasks within SSIS can be used by database developers to provide a structure to a package and repeat control flows.

Analyzing SQL Server Permissions
This article shows the steps to analyze SQL Server logins and permissions to ensure that there are no logins and users that exist who are have unnecessary access

SQL Server 2008 Integration Services Tasks
This article is the first in a series of articles that will be covering all the Control Flow Tasks and Maintenance Plan Tasks in SQL Server 2008 Integration Services

New Controls in ASP.Net 3.5
It is important to understand what the impact of new development releases are. This article described the new AJAX extension related controls in ASP.Net 3.5

Integrating Visio 2007 with SQL Server Analysis Services
This article shows how Microsoft Office Visio 2007 can be used to visualize cube data created using SSAS

SSIS New Features in SQL Server 2008 - Part 5
This article is final part of a 5 part series that explores the SSIS features introduced in SQL Server 2008. The final artilce in the series will explore VSTA support for the Script Task and Script Component, Import And Export Wizard Enhancements and how SSIS leverages SQL Server 2008 features.

SSIS New Features in SQL Server 2008 - Part 4
This article is part 4 of a 5 part series that explores the SSIS features introduced in SQL Server 2008. This article focuses on SSIS Pipeline Performance

SSIS New Features in SQL Server 2008 - Part 3
This article is part 3 of a 5 part series that explores the SSIS features introduced in SQL Server 2008. This article focuses on the Data Profiling task

Surface Area Configuration Using Policy Based Management
This article shows how the SQL Server Surface Area Configuration can be managed in SQL Server 2008

New Features in SQL Server 2008 Management Studio – Part 3
This article looks at the Transact SQL Debugger features which was reintroduced in SQL Server 2008

SSIS New Features in SQL Server 2008 - Part 2
This article is part 2 of a 5 part series that explores the SSIS features introduced in SQL Server 2008. This article focuses on Lookup Transformations

SSIS New Features in SQL Server 2008 - Part 1
This article is part 1 of a 5 part series that explores the SSIS features introduced in SQL Server 2008

New Features in SQL Server 2008 Management Studio – Part 2
This article is the second article in a series that explores new features that are available in SQL Server 2008 Management Studio

New Features in SQL Server 2008 Management Studio – Part 1
This article shows the new features that are available in SQL Server 2008 Management Studio

SSIS - An Inside View Part 4
This article is the final article in a 4 part series that explores the internals of SQL Server Integration Services. This article looks at parallel processing and performance optimization.

SSIS - An Inside View Part 3
This article is part 3 of a 4 part series that explores the internals of SQL Server Integration Services. This article looks at the Buffer Management in SSIS.

SSIS - An Inside View Part 2
This article is part 2 of a 4 part series that explores the internals of SQL Server Integration Services. This article looks at SSIS Transformations and Execution Trees.

SSIS - An Inside View Part 1
This article is part 1 of a 4 part series that explores the internals of SQL Server Integration Services. This series will focus on the SSIS architecture, buffer management, types of transformation, the execution tree and parallel processing.

Understanding the Basic of Triggers
The following article looks at how a DML Trigger can be used in SQL Server

Accessing Cubes from Excel 2007
This article shows how the data from a SQL Server Analysis cube can be displayed in Microsoft Excel

SQL Server Integration Services Features And Properties Part 4
This article is the final article of a 4 part series that explores the Features and Properties of SSIS. This article will explore Validation.

SQL Server Integration Services Features And Properties Part 3
This article is part 3 of a 4 part series that explores the Features and Properties of SSIS. This article will explore Checkpoints and Restarting an SSIS Package.

SQL Server Integration Services Features And Properties Part 2
This article is part 2 of a 4 part series that explores the Features and Properties of SSIS. This article explores the Event Handlers and Transaction Support in SSIS.

SQL Server Integration Services Features And Properties Part 1
This article is the first of a 4 part series exploring the Features and Properties of SSIS. This article explores the Event Logging in SSIS.

Using the SQL Server 2005 Surface Area Configuration Tool
This article works through using the SQL Server 2005 Surface Area Configuration Tool

SQL Server Integration Services an Introduction - Part 4
This article is the final article in the 4 part series that introduces SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS). This article shows how to use the SSIS API object model.

SQL Server Integration Services an Introduction - Part 3
This article is part 3 of a 4 part series that introduces SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS). This article shows how to use the Import and Export Wizard.

Steps to Install SQL Server 2008
This article walks through the steps to install SQL Server 2008

Identify Missing Indexes Using SQL Server DMVs
This article explains how the Dynamic Management Views (DMV) in SQL Server can be used to identify missing indexes on a table

SQL Server Integration Services an Introduction - Part 2
This article is part 2 of a 4 part series that introduces SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS). This article shows how to use the Data Flow Task in SSIS.

SQL Server Integration Services an Introduction - Part 1
This article is part 1 of a 4 part series that introduces how SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) can be used as a platform for building high performance data integration and workflow solutions

Obtaining Index Usage Information
This article shows how the sys.dm_db_index_usage_stats DMV can be used to tune your indexes, and maximize the performance of your database

Getting Started with the ADO.NET Entity Framework Part 4
This article is the final part of a four part series on the ADO.NET Entity Framework. In this article you will learn how to use the Entity Data Model and the Entity Data Source Control to implement our first program using the Entity Framework.

Getting Started with the ADO.NET Entity Framework Part 3
This article is part three of a four part series on the ADO.NET Entity Framework. This article discusses the new Entity Data Source control which was introduced as part of the Visual Studio.NET 2008 SP1 release.

Getting Started with the ADO.NET Entity Framework Part 2
This article is part two of a four part series on the ADO.NET Entity Framework. This article will show how to create an Entity Data Model Using the ADO.NET Entity Data Model Designer.

How to Configure and Use the Central Management Server Feature in SQL Server 2008
This article shows how the Central Management Server (CMS) can be used as a repository to store all the SQL Servers instances within an organization that need to be managed

Max Degree of Parallelism
This article discusses how you can use the max degree of parallelism option to limit the number of processors to use in parallel plan execution

Exporting SSIS Package Using SQL Server Management Studio
This article shows the steps you need to follow in order to export a SQL Server Integration Services Packages

How to Import a Comma Separated File into SQL Server 2008
This article shows how to create a SQL Server Integration Services Package which can be used to import data from a comma separated delimited text file into SQL Server

Getting Started with the ADO.NET Entity Framework
This article is part one of a four part series on the ADO.NET Entity Framework. This article will show how to create an Entity Data Model Using the ADO.NET Entity Data Model Designer.

Importing SSIS Package Using SQL Server Management Studio
In this article you will see the steps which you need to follow in order to import a SQL Server Integration Services Package

Scheduling a SSIS Package with SQL Server Agent
In this article you will see how to schedule a SSIS package using SQL Server Agent

How to Create a Comma Separated Delimited Text File Using SQL Server 2008
This artilce shows how to generate a comma separated delimited text file using SQL Server

Peer-to-Peer Replication in SQL Server 2008
This article describes the new Peer-to-Peer replication features in SQL Server 2008

Create Backups without Breaking the Database Backup Sequence
This article shows how the COPY_ONLY clause can be used to ensure that an ad-hoc database backup do not break the backup sequence

Creating Your Own Custom Data Collections
This article describes how to install the components that make up the Management Data Warehouse (MDW)

Recover Data Using Database Snapshots
This article shows how database snapshots can be used to recover data in a source database

Analyze and Fix Index Fragmentation in SQL Server 2008
This article describes how an index gets fragmented and the steps which a DBA can take to fix index fragmentation

Backup User Databases Using a Maintenance Plan
This article shows how to create Full, Differential and Transactional Log backups using a Database Maintenance Plan

Powerful Geographical Visualisations made easy with SQL 2008 Spatial (Part 2)
This is the final article in a series on how to perform data visualisation with SQL Server 2008

Powerful Geographical Visualisations made easy with SQL 2008 Spatial (Part 1)
This article is part one of a two part series on how to perform data visualisation with SQL Server 2008

Differential Database Backups in SQL Server
The article describes how a DBA can use a differential backup strategy to perform a database backup

Claytons Data Mining (Part 2)
This is the second article of a two part series that describes how the SQL Server Data Mining Add-ins for Office 2007 can exposes data mining capabilities to an end user

Backup System Databases Using Maintenance Plans
This article describes the process of how to backup system databases using a Maintenance Plan

Overview of Maintenance Plans in SQL Server 2008
After reading this article you will understand the different types of maintenance plan tasks that are available and their usage

Monitoring Index Fragmentation
The article describes a real world experience on managing index fragmentation

Claytons Data Mining (Part 1)
In the first of a two part series this article describes how the SQL Server Data Mining Add-ins for Office 2007 can exposes data mining capabilities to an end user

SQL Server High-Availability with Virtualisation
This article describes how Virtualisation can be used for SQL Server High Availability

Dedicated Administrator Connection in SQL Server
This article describes how a DBA can use the Dedicated Administrator Connection to troubleshoot SQL Server when the when a standard connection is not possible

How to Use the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Upgrade Advisor Tool
This article shows how to use the SQL Server 2008 Upgrade Advisor Tool to improve the SQL Server 2008 upgrade experience

Are Your Indexes Being Used Effectively?
This article shows how to use the dm_db_index_usage_stats DMV to identify if an Index is being used on not

Grouping Sets in SQL Server 2008
This article shows how to use the GROUPING SETS feature in SQL Server 2008

Configure Windows Firewall for SQL Server Integration Services
In this article the steps to access SQL Server Integration Services through a firewall are described

Restore Transaction Logs for Point in Time Recovery
This article shows how a database can be restored to achieve point in time recovery

CDC and Data Warehouse
The following article shows how Change Data Capture can be used to capture incremental data changes and use them in an ETL Process

Super Sizing Columns in SQL Server
This article describes how to work with large objects in SQL Server using the MAX Specifier

Fixing Orphaned Users in SQL Server Database
This article will show the steps that a DBA needs to follow in order to resolve Orphaned Logins

Table Valued Parameters in SQL Server 2008
This article describes how a table variable can be passed to a Stored Procedure in SQL Server 2008

System Databases in SQL Server
This article will explore the system databases in SQL Server

Database Recovery Models in SQL Server
This article discusses in detail the three database recovery models and how to choose the appropriate recovery model

Compare Dates
The following article shows how to compare dates in an iterative manner for a particular set of records in a single query

Filtered Indexes in SQL Server 2008
This article demonstrates the performance improvements that can be achieved using Filtered Indexes in SQL server 2008

Importance of Database Backups and Recovery Plan
As a DBA you need to ensure that the databases you manage are backed up regularly. This article details the importance of database backups and a recovery plan

Data Compression in SQL Server 2008
This article looks at how Data Compression can be used to reduce the space of database objects in SQL Server 2008

SQL Server 2008 MERGE Statement
This article introduces how the SQL Server 2008 MERGE statement can be used

New Features in Visual Studio 2008
As a DBA it is important that you are able to talk to the development teams that you work with about development practices. This article provides an overview of some of the new features that have been introduced in Visual Studio 2008

Obtain Exclusive Access to Restore a SQL Server Database
Being able to restore a SQL Server database in one of the most important DBA skills. This article shows how to obtain exclusive access to a database to perform a restore

Data Warehouse Partition Strategies
The following article provides some insight into the Data Warehouse Partition Strategies used in a real world scenario

Configure Windows Firewall for SQL Server Remote Connections
This article describes the process of how to configure the Windows firewall for SQL Server

Understanding Service Level Agreements
This article is excerpted from the upcoming title SQL Server 2008 Administration by Rod Colledge and published by Manning Publications. This article introduces the role of service-level agreements as part of an overall strategy to maintain a reliable SQL Server network.

Speeding up the Performance of Table Counts in SQL Server 2005
This article describes how the Object Catalog Views can be used to determine the number of rows in a table

Database Audit Specifications in SQL Server 2008
This is the final article of a three part series on Auditing in SQL Server 2008. This article shows how to setup a Database Audit Specification.

How Change Data Capture Can be Used
This article describes how Change Data Capture can be used in SQL Server 2008

Characterizing I/O Workload
This article is excerpted from the upcoming title SQL Server 2008 Administration by Rod Colledge and published by Manning Publications. This article describes how to assess the I/O load that applications can place upon a system and how to determine the resources you’ll need to handle it.

Server Audit Specifications in SQL Server 2008
This is the second article of a three part series on Auditing in SQL Server 2008. This article shows how to setup a Server Audit Specification.

Server and Database Auditing in SQL Server 2008
This article is the first in a three part series on Auditing in SQL Server 2008

So, you find yourself On-Call
In this article TJay shares some of his experience of being the on call DBA

Administrator & Monitoring Change Data Capture in SQL Server 2008
This article explores how a DBA can administer and monitor Change Data Capture in SQL Server 2008

Importance of the Resource Database
This article describes the importance of the Resource database in SQL Server 2005 & 2008

SQL Server 2008 Capture DML Changes Using Change Data Capture
In this article Ashish continues to explore the Change Data Capture feature in SQL Server 2008. This article demonstrates how to track DML changes

Resource Governor in SQL Server 2008
This article describes how Database Administrators can manage SQL Server workload and critical system resource consumption using Resource Governor in SQL Server 2008

Tweaks in SQL Server Reporting Services
This article demonstrates some of the Reporting Services questions that are frequently asked by developers

Configure Filestream in SQL Server 2008
SQL Server 2008 offers a wide variety of features and FILESTREAM is one of the most anticipated. This article describes how to configure the FILESTREAM feature.

Capture DDL Changes using Change Data Capture with SQL Server 2008
In this article we will see how Change Data Capture (CDC) in SQL Server 2008 can help DBA's to track DML changes

Business Intelligence in Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment
This article describes the use of BI in Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment

Inside SQL Server Cluster Setup and Troubleshooting Techniques - Part I
This article describes the SQL Cluster Setup process and how to troubleshoot it if something goes wrong

Configure and Manage Policy Based Management in SQL Server 2008
The following article describes how to use the Policy Based Management feature in SQL Server 2008

Using Column Sets with Sparse Columns
This article provides an overview of the use of Column Sets with Spare Columns in SQL Server 2008

Loading XML data into SQL Server 2008
This article provides a step by step guide on how to create and configure an SSIS package which can be used to import XML data

How to configure and Use Database Backup Compression in SQL Server 2008
SQL Server 2008 introduces the Database Backup Compression feature. This article describes how to take advantage of this new feature

Fast Database File Creation for Large Databases in SQL Server 2005
This article describes how to enable Instant File Initialization in SQL Server 2005

Enhancing Reporting Services with Dundas Reporting Controls
This article provides an overview of the Dundas report control features for SQL Server Reporting Services

System Data Collection Reports
In this article Greg Larsen details the rich reporting capabilities in the SQL Server 2008 Management Data Warehouse

How to Import Data from Microsoft Office Excel 2007 to SQL Server 2005
This article provides a step by step guide on how to import data from Microsoft Office Excel 2007 to a SQL Server 2005 database

Breaking Down Complex Execution Plans
In this article Grant Fritchey demonstrates how to break down a complex execution plan to identify performance bottlenecks

How to Export Data to Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Using SQL Server 2005
This article provides a step by step guide on how to export data to Microsoft Office Excel 2007

Slowly Changing Dimension in SQL Server 2005 – Part 2
This article is Part 2 in the series which explores the options available in SQL Server 2005 for Slowly Changing Dimensions

Transparent Data Encryption in SQL Server 2008
This article describes how the Transparent Data Encryption feature in SQL Server 2008 can be used to secure your databases

How SQL Cluster Resource DLLs work with Cluster Components to Improve the Failover Process
In this article Nirmal Sharma explains the SQL Server internal clustering process

Automate Audit Requests
In this article TJay Belt describes a process to help respond to audit requests in a timely manner

Slowly Changing Dimensions in SQL Server 2005
This article explores the options available in SQL Server 2005 for Slowly Changing Dimensions.

Audit Data Modifications
In this article new author TJay Belt describes a solution to Audit Data Modifications

SQL Server 2008’s Management Data Warehouse
This article looks at the new Management Data Warehouse (MDW) that is incorporated into SQL Server 2008. This warehouse is performance analysis and capacity planning tool for DBAs. This article will discuss the basic architecture of the MDW and how to set it up using a wizard.

Same Report but Different Methods in SQL Server Reporting Services
In Reporting Services in SQL Server 2005 there are several ways of achieving the same result. This article introduces how we can create the same report using several different methods.

Data Comparison with Data Dude
In this article Dinesh Priyankara shows how Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Professionals can be used to perfrom data comparison.

New Features in ASP.NET 3.5
In this article Joydip Kanjilal explains the new features that are available in ASP.NET 3.5.

Implementing a Generic Data Access Layer in ADO.NET Part 1
In Part 1 of a 3 Part Series Joydip Kanjilal discusses the implementation of a provider independent Data Access Layer in ADO.NET.

Building Cubes with SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services
In this article new author Thomas LaRock provides a step by step guide on building a cube with SQL Server Analysis Services 2005.

How to Use System Monitor to Identify SQL Server Hardware Bottlenecks
In this article Brad McGehee describes how System Monitor can be used to identify potential hardware bottlenecks.

Usage of SQL Server Database Snapshots
Database Snapshots are a new feature in SQL Server 2005 which many DBA's are not aware of. In this article Dinesh Asanka provides an overview of this feature.

Monitoring Stored Procedure Performance with sys.dm_exec_cached_plans
This article will show you how to use the sys.dm_exec_cached_plans DMV to monitor the performance of stored procedures

Schema Comparison with Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Professionals
In this article Dinesh Priyankara describes how schema comparison can be performed using Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Professionals.

Script Component as Data Source
In this article Dinesh Asanka demonstrates how you can use your own data sources in SQL Server Integration Services.

New Data Types in SQL Server 2008 Part 3
This is the third articlefrom Dinesh Asanka in the series on the new Data Types in SQL Server 2008. In this article the spatial data types are explored.

New Data Types in SQL Server 2008 Part 2
SQL Server 2008 has introduced several new data types. This article discusses how the new HierarchyID data type can be used to implement hierarchies.

Implementing a Generic Data Access Layer in ADO.NET Part 3
The 3rd and final of the 3 Part Series discussing the implementation of a provider independent Data Access Layer in ADO.NET.

Implementing a Generic Data Access Layer in ADO.NET Part 2
In Part 2 of a 3 Part Series Joydip Kanjilal discusses the implementation of a provider independent Data Access Layer in ADO.NET.

Check List for Performance Optimisation in SQL Server Analysis Service 2005
This article is a step-by-step checklist to help ensure that you are obtaining the maximum performance possible from SQL Server Analysis Services.

SSIS Usage of Checkpoint File
In this article Dinesh Priyankara explains how Checkpoint files can be used in a SSIS package so that the package can be restarted from the point of failure.

Query Execution Statistics
In this article Greg Larsen discusses how the Dynamic Management Views and Dynamic Management Functions in SQL Server 2005 can be used to gather performance information.

Measure TSQL Statement Performance
Every developer needs to ensure that each TSQL statement is optimized. This article will give you a few different ideas on how to identify slow running queries and provide you with some tips on monitor your query performance while you make iterative changes to each query to try and improve performance.

Using Report Parameters in SQL Server Reporting Services
Report parameters assist in narrowing down a report for better analysis.

Pivot and UnPivot with SSIS
Pivot and UnPivot are key data transformation functions for SQL Server Integration Service (SSIS).

SQL Server 2008 New DATETIME DataTypes
SQL Server 2008 introduces four new DATETIME datatypes as well as new DATETIME functions.

The “sys.dm_os_performance_counters” Dynamic Management View
SQL Server performance can be tracked and monitored by using performance counters. For SQL Server 2005 performance counters can be displayed by using the “sys.os_exec_performance_counters” Dynamic Management View (DMV).

Creating Custom Reports for SSMS
The new custom report feature of SQL Server 2005 SP2 allows you to incorporate Reporting Services report definitions (.rdl) files into SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).

Importing Poorly Formatted Text Files using SSIS
Importing text files is a common task for DBA's and Developers, but what happens when the text file is not properly formatted?

Index related DMVs and DMFs - sys.dm_db_index_usage_stats
Examining statistics of indexes is useful for optimizing the performance of queries. Statistics help us determine the usage and worth of indexes - one simple method is using the index-related dynamic management view; sys.dm_db_index_usage_stats

SQL Server 2005 Database Options and Configuration Performance Audit Checklist
As part of your performance audit, you will need to examine each database located on each of your SQL Server instances and examine some basic database settings.

Index related DMVs and DMFs
This article deals with some important index-related output columns that are returned by the function, dm_db_index_physical_stats which returns information on the size and fragmentation of tables and indexes.

Data Cleansing with SSIS
SSIS introduces several new tools including Fuzzy Logic to aid data cleaning.

SQL Server 2005 Server Configuration Performance Audit Checklist Part 2
Part 2 of configuring SQL Server settings.

SQL Server 2005 Server Configuration Performance Audit Checklist : Part 1
Examine the key performance related SQL Server configuration settings.

SQL Server 2005 Performance Audit : Operating System Configuration Performance Checklist
Squeeze more performance out of SQL Server by optimizing Windows Server.

SQL Server 2005 Performance Audit : SQL Server Hardware Configuration Checklist
Start off your Audit by examining the performance of the hardware SQL Server runs on.

SQL Server 2005 Performance Audit : Introduction
Get started on SQL Server 2005 auditing with this introduction to the series.

Reduce Aggravating Aggregation: Improve the Performance of History or Status Tables
Optimize the performance of a database which includes history or status tables.

DDL Triggers in SQL Server 2005
DDL Triggers are key improvement in SQL Server auditing, allowing tracking of events such as the creation of a new table, database or user.

Isolation Levels in SQL Server 2005
Isolation levels are used to prioritize the acccess to a resource. SQL Server 2005 extends upon the support for isolation levels in 2000 with several new features including an additional level.

SSIS Package Configuration in SQL Server 2005
SQL Server 2005 allows DBAs to set configurations for SSIS packages outside the package to facilitate a smooth transition between different environments.

CLR Integration in SQL Server 2005
The integrated CLR allows SQL Server developers to write stored procedures and user defined data-types using a .NET language such as C# or VB

Working with XML Data in SQL Server 2005
SQL Server 2005 features vastly improved handling of XML data, this article explores the methods of handling and storing XML data in SQL Server 2005.

Database Mirroring in SQL Server 2005
Mirroring allows a user to create an exact copy of a database on a different server. This article outlines how to implement mirroring in SQL Server 2005.

Analysis Services in High Data Volume Business scenarios
Benchmarking the performance improvements using parallel processing of OLAP cubes.

A Look at Microsoft SQL Server Upgrade Advisor
Microsoft SQL Server Upgrade Advisor tool helps the user with the process of upgrading SQL Server 2000 (or 7.0) instances to SQL Server 2005. It analyzes the configuration of installed SQL Server 2000 (or 7.0) components and generates reports. The reports give an idea of the issues that will hinder the upgrade process.

Notification Services in SQL Server 2005
SQL Server Notification Services is used for developing and deploying applications that generate and send notifications. The notification can be scheduled on a weekly, daily, or hourly basis and sent to a wide variety of devices, such as a subscriber's cell phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), Windows Messenger or e-mail account. By S. Srivathsani.

Temporary Tables vs. Table Variables and Their Effect on SQL Server Performance
The differences between temporary tables and table variables and how they compare in terms of performance on SQL Server 2000 and 2005.

Server System Architecture, 2007 (Preliminary)
The original article in this series was published in 2002 and covered Pentium III and Pentium III Xeon systems. It is now time for an update to the Core 2 and Opteron based systems of 2007 and a look ahead to 2008. By Joe Chang.

DDL Replication in SQL Server 2000 and 2005
You may have wondered how to add, drop, or alter (type or size) a column of a table that is an article of a publication. I have seen this question in many forums and discussion boards. Obviously, dropping the replication, making the necessary changes, and then recreating the replication is not efficient. By Dinesh Asanka.

Online Indexing in SQL Server 2005
In SQL Server 2005, DBAs can create, rebuild, or drop indexes online. The index operations on the underlying table can be performed concurrently with update or query operations. This was not possible in previous versions of SQL Server.

Keeping Your SQL Server Databases Defragmented with Diskeeper
Physical file fragmentation can hinder SQL Server's performance. Learn how Diskeeper can help resolve this problem.

ASP.NET Security [Part I]
An introduction to the ASP.NET methods for Authenticating and Authorizing users

Understanding the Page Life Cycle in ASP.NET
The Page Life Cycle is the series of events fired when a web page is requested. Undertstanding of the Life Cycle is key to developing ASP.NET applications.

Parallel Statistics Update
Create jobs that update statistics on the system in parallel

Making the Most Out of the SQL Server 2005 Performance Dashboard
The SQL Server 2005 Performance Dashboard is a new add-on to SQL Server 2005. It is a custom report (custom reports are a new feature of Service Pack 2) for Management Studio that gathers data from the many Dynamic Management Views (DMVs) and Dynamic Management Functions (DMFs) available in SQL Server 2005. By Brad M. McGehee.

Benchmarking SQL Server 2005 Covering Indexes
The focus of this article is to find out what will happen when running a query, without any indexes, with non-clustered indexes, and with covering indexes. By Dinesh Asanka.

Security Enhancements in SQL Server 2005: Schema
This article will discuss the key features of authorization in SQL Server 2005. Among the several authorization features, schema is the most valuable and confusing special feature.

SQL Server 2005 Clustering Best Practices
This cluster checklist to success summarizes all of the best practices you should follow if you want to install, configure, and maintain a solid SQL Server 2005 cluster.

How to Cluster SQL Server 2005
The procedure to install a SQL Server 2005 instance onto a cluster is one of the easiest parts of getting your SQL Server 2005 cluster up and running. The SQL Server 2005 setup program is used for the install and does the hard work for you. All you have to do is make a few (but critically important) decisions.

Working with Transactions in ADO.NET
Transaction processing is an indispensible part of ADO.NET, a transaction guarantees that a block of statements will either be executed in its entirety or rolled back.

How to Correlate a SQL Server 2005 Profiler Trace With System Monitor Performance Counter Data
In this article, we take a look at how to collect both System Monitor and Profiler data, then correlate the two so you can see exactly how SQL Server activity is directly affecting server performance. By Brad M. McGehee.

SQL Server 7.0, 2000 and 2005 Clustering Resources
If you are seriously considering implementing SQL Server 2000 or 2005 under Windows 2000 or Windows 2003; then I highly recommend that you review these resources before you begin.

Using Service Broker to Communicate With Other Database Servers
Service Broker is a distributed messaging framework, or MSMQ (Microsoft Message Queue), in SQL Server 2005. Using this new feature, you will be able to add reliable, scalable, asynchronous functionality to your database applications.

How to Cluster Windows Server 2003
Before you can install SQL Server 2005 clustering, you must first install Windows Server 2003 clustering services. In this article, we take a step-by-step approach to installing and configuring Windows 2003 clustering.

An Introduction to SQL Server 2005 Clustering Basics
Clustering is a complex technology with lots of messy details. To make it easier to understand, let's take a look at the big picture of how clustering works.

Preparing the SQL Server 2005 Clustering Infrastructure
Before you even begin building a SQL Server 2005 cluster, you must ensure that your network infrastructure is in place. Here's a checklist of everything that is required before you begin installing a SQL Server 2005 cluster.

Caching in ASP.NET (Part II)
The second article in the caching series looks at using the Cache API.

Should You Upgrade Your Current SQL Server Cluster to a SQL Server 2005 Cluster?
If your organization is like many organizations, it may have some older version SQL Server clusters in production. If so, at some point you will have to make a choice about how to upgrade them to SQL Server 2005. Let's look at the available options.

Caching in ASP.NET (Part I)
Caching is probably the single quickest and most efficient method of boosting performance of ASP.NET applications. The first article in this series looks at Page Output Caching and Partial Page Caching.

An Introduction to Dynamic Management Views and Functions in SQL Server 2005
The purpose of this article is to introduce you to Dynamic Management Views (DMVs) and Dynamic Management Functions (DMFs) at a high level; in later articles, I will drill down into how specific DMVs and DMFs can be used to help you performance tune your servers and databases. By Brad M. McGehee.

Working with Exceptions in ADO.NET
The new version of ADO.NET includes powerful support for working with exceptions efficiently. This article throws light on how to handle exceptions efficiently when working with ADO.NET and highlights the best practices that can be followed in this context.

DataTable Enhancements in ADO.NET 2.0
ADO.NET 2.0 has added many new powerful features to the DataTable class including the ability to load a DataReader instance into a DataTable instance by using the Load method of the DataTable class, the DataTableReader, built-in serialization support.

New Isolation Levels Available in SQL Server 2005
One of the more mysterious features of SQL Server is isolation levels. Whenever a statement is executed, or a data modification is made, it runs under the influence of an isolation level. Traditionally, SQL Server has supported four isolation levels. In SQL Server 2005, two new isolation levels are introduced. By Brad M. McGehee.

Using Plan Guides in SQL Server 2005
In SQL Server 2005, there is a new feature called Plan Guides that can help out in some cases where you discover poorly performing queries that you don't have direct control over. Essentially, a Plan Guide allows you to add or modify query hints to queries on the fly, just before they are executed. By Brad M. McGehee.

How To Configure SQL Mail to Work With GroupWise
Learn how to configure GroupWise to work with SQL Server Mail.

Beware: New Query Hints Added to SQL Server 2005
The focus of this article is that SQL Server 2005 has added four new query hints. So let's take a quick look at what they are and what problems they are supposed to correct. By Brad M. McGehee.

DataSets and XML – A Perfect Combination
The disconnected data access model of ADO.NET is centered on DataSets. DataSets are the core of ADO.NET architecture and represent an in memory representation of the database. Using XML, we can use the DataSet class in ADO.NET to perform the CRUD (Create, Read, Update and Delete) operations without an underlying database to store the data.

New Index Locking Granularity in SQL Server 2005 Gives You More Options
While most DBAs are familiar with how locking works with tables, few DBAs are familiar with how SQL Server 2005 applies locking to indexes. That's right, indexes, just like tables, are subject to locking. And as most DBAs already know, inappropriate locking (in tables or indexes) can negatively affect the performance of SQL Server. By Brad M. McGehee.

Centralized SQL Server 2000 Monitoring
Learn two different ways to help centrally manage your SQL Servers

How to Create Nonkey Columns in Nonclustered Indexes in SQL Server 2005
In SQL Server 2005, we now have a new feature called "nonkey column nonclustered indexes." This new feature is a variation of the standard covering index, but with some advantages. By Brad M. McGehee.

Adding Indexes to Persisted Computed Columns in SQL Server 2005
Previously, SQL Server supported the concept of computed columns. SQL Server 2005 introduces persisted computed columns, and the ability to index the computed column for those cases where this feature makes sense. By Brad M. McGehee.

Creating Backup Jobs in SQL Server 2005
The SQL Server 2005 Maintenance Plan feature has been significantly modified in comparison with SQL 2000: now it utilizes new Integration Services. Also, creating database and transaction log backups is not as clear as it was in SQL 2000. This article does not describe all available SQL Server 2005 backup features or provide some tricks dealing with them; instead, it offers solutions for the most commonly used backup jobs.

Using Asynchronous Statistics Updating in SQL Server 2005
Most DBAs are familiar with the AUTO_UPDATE_STATISTICS database option. Under most conditions, this feature provides the Query Optimizer with up-to-date index and column statistics so that optimum query plans can be created to execute queries. But what many DBAs don't know is how this option affects the performance of queries. By Brad M. McGehee.

Forced Parameterization in SQL Server 2005
For applications that use mostly simple queries, the default simple parameterization of SQL Server 2005 may be more than adequate to meet your performance expectations. For applications that use mostly complex queries, however, there is a new feature in SQL Server 2005 called forced parameterization that can tell SQL Server to force the parameterization of virtually all SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE statements. By Brad M. McGehee.

New Features in ADO.NET 2.0
The introduction of ADO.NET has come as a boon to the development community with excellent features such as, seamless support for XML and support for connection pooling, to name a few. This article introduces the reader to newly added features to ADO.NET 2.0 and discusses how they can improve the performance, scalability and maintainability of applications.

E-Mail Functionality in SQL Server 2005
With the arrival of SQL Server 2005, users now have the new functionality of Database Mail, which is different from SQL Server 2000 SQL Mail. The purpose of this article is to introduce Database Mail and highlight the advantages of using it over legacy SQL Mail.

Encrypting Your Valuable Data With SQL Server 2005: Part 2
After reading Part I in this series, you will have an architectural understanding of data encryption in SQL Server 2005. In this article, we will discuss the real implementation of it.

Exposing API Server Cursors
In this article, I will expose the API server cursor by providing a brief overview of what an API server cursor is, explaining how to identify when a distributed query is utilizing an API server cursor, and giving an example of a simple distributed query that eliminates the usage of the API server cursor.

An Instance of SQL Server 2000 Performance Tuning
This article is about altering a table and adding NOT NULL columns into it … I tried a new approach for this by which I created a new table using the SELECT INTO command and within this command included new columns as well by joining with the old table. This took less than 1/10th of the time compared to the standard approach. By Sunil Madan.

Encrypting Your Valuable Data With SQL Server 2005: Part 1
In SQL Server 2005, security has improved for authentication, authorization, and encryption. Encryption is so much improved that it is almost a new feature in SQL Server 2005.

Handling Cursor-Friendly Problems in T-SQL: Running Totals Example
A typical "cursor friendly" problem is one where the data set returned contains at least one column whose value depends on column values from one or more previous rows of the same row set. Even when a data set based solution exists, it is hard to build a query that is more efficient than a cursor based solution.

Peer-to-Peer Transactional Replication in SQL Server 2005
As you may be aware, SQL Server 2000 provides three types of replication: Snapshot replication, transactional replication, and merge replication. SQL Server 2005 includes a new replication method: Peer-to-peer transactional replication.

SQL Server Books Online: A Primer for New Users
This article is for new users of SQL Server … I'm a big fan of SQL Server Books Online (BOL). It has helped me a lot and I have saved a fair amount of time that I would have spent searching through books or on the Web for answers.

SQL Server Processor Performance, 2006
With the new multi-core processors launching this year and in 2007, finally unconstrained by thermal limitations, look for performance gains in multi-threaded applications to exceed the pace of Moore's Law. The traditional doubling of the logic complexity of a processor was only expected to generate a 40% performance gain. An unconstrained dual-core can yield a 80% performance gain over the corresponding single core.

Interview with SQL Server Master Trainer Scott Whigham, Owner of LearnSQLServer.com
Scott Whigham is a SQL Server consultant and trainer. Recently, he started a new website called LearnSQLServer.Com. I recently met Scott at a training event and was impressed with his teaching ability, so I decided to interview him.

Processing event logs using DumpEvt and SQL Server
How to use and filter event logs in SQL Server

How to Detect Table Fragmentation in SQL Server 2000 and 2005
Table fragmentation can occur when modifying data with INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statements, which over time cause gaps in each page. If a query search is based on a table scan or partial table scan, then it will create overhead for the SQL Server process with additional page reads, leading to high CPU activity and unresponsiveness.

Techniques for Indexing Low-Selectivity Columns in SQL Server
Most of us have probably faced this situation at one time or another: there's a deceptively simple query in your system that's performing poorly … So, what to do? There are a few possible actions here, but some will help and some will not. What follows is an analysis of some techniques, with their performance impact, using SQL Server 2005.

Select Based on List of Random Values — Dynamic SQL or CSV Parsing UDF?
How do you pass random-list based criteria to a stored procedure and how do you achieve a good execution plan without a recompilation each time the query is executed?

An Interview with Bill Hamilton, Author of the Book 'Programming SQL Server 2005'
Programming SQL Server 2005 is very different from programming SQL Server 2000. The introduction of CLR routines (the ability to program database objects such as stored procedures, functions, and triggers using the .NET Framework), the introduction of a new database management class library in SQL Server Management Objects (SMO) that replaces DMO, and extensive new functionality and enhancements to existing functionality.

SQL Server 2005 Security and the Microsoft Developer's Security Resource Kit
An Interview with Mark Brown, Senior Marketing Manager, US-Developer Business and Marketing Organization, Microsoft.

Overcoming Software Limitations in Multidimensional Reports
This paper offers two software specific solutions to overcome limitations exposed in Microsoft SQL Server's Reporting Services. These solutions offer the benefit of providing employees with the ability to quickly generate dynamic report templates and focus their energy on future enhancements instead of continuous maintenance.

Dealing with the Dodgy GO Command
The GO command signals the end of a batch of SQL statements and executes them as a whole. Seems simple enough. But using GO can be disastrous if you don't understand its usage in a certain scenario.

Ranking Functions and Performance in SQL Server 2005
Ranking functions, introduced in SQL Server 2005, are a great enhancement to Transact-SQL. Many tasks, like creating arrays, generating sequential numbers, finding ranks, and so on, which in pre-2005 versions requires many lines of code, now can be implemented much easier and faster.

Practical Solution to SQL Server Performance Monitoring
The following article includes code and hands-on instruction on how to automate such tedious tasks as reusing the preset monitor parameters and analyzing the results. Given the ever-increasing size of databases and the importance of database performance, this article can also help you monitor and tune the performance of your system, as well as improve your performance as a DBA.

Setting Up ASP.NET 2.0 Application Services
ASP.NET 2.0 lets developers add data to a Web site in a manner that is almost identical to how they would normally add another server control with the help of the control-based approach to data access.

System and Storage Configuration for SQL Server
A proper, technically correct system and storage sizing assessment of a SQL Server system and storage configuration needs to consider a broad range of CPU, memory and IO usage analysis.

SQL Server Performance: Query Tuning vs. Process Tuning
In the different projects where I perform a performance audit or am involved in performance tuning, I often find that while queries and stored procedures function correctly, they are not efficient in processing larger data sets.

Winning T-SQL Games from the Red Gate Software-Sponsored January 2006 Contest
This past January, Red Gate Software sponsored a T-SQL contest. The goal was to write a game in T-SQL that was fun to play.

Scripts for Space Monitoring Report
Scripts to complement the 'Monitor Your Database Servers with DTS, Part 3: Space Monitoring of SQL Servers' article.

Monitor Your Database Servers with DTS, Part 3: Space Monitoring of SQL Servers
In this final article on how to monitor a large number of servers from a centralized location using Data Transformation Services (DTS), I explain how to monitor space utilization of databases on all the servers.

Boost Performance and Reduce Code Use With SQL Server Aggregate Functions
This article will acquaint you with aggregate functions such as MIN, MAX, COUNT, and AVG, which easily let you perform tasks that you may have thought needed extensive programming codes to accomplish.

Get an Edge with SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
Introduction to SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services.

How to Perform a SQL Server Performance Audit
Introduction to conducting a SQL Server Performance Audit

Clustered Indexes in SQL Server: Things You Need to Know
This article covers a few, more advanced topics about the usage of clustered indexes in SQL Server. Not only will I try to convince you of the absolute necessity of using clustered indexes, I'll also give you some tips on how to use them in a not so obvious context.

How to Set Up a SQL Server Stress Test Environment in 8 Steps: Lessons From the Field
The only way you can minimize performance issues (because you'll never succeed in avoiding them completely) is to test the new release in a "production alike" environment. That's why we need to organize stress tests. Part three of a four-part articles series.

Using Master..Sysprocesses to Isolate Performance Issues - Part 1
The sysprocesses table holds valuable information about each unique process, or SPID, running on the SQL Server.

Is Your Java Middleware Impacting Application Performance?
By default, most, if not all, Java middleware drivers send string parameters to SQL Server as Unicode, which can have horrible consequences for application performance.

Using TRY/CATCH to Resolve a Deadlock in SQL Server 2005
The TRY/CATCH method is powerful enough to handle the exceptions encountered in your code irrespective of how deeply nested the application is in a stored procedure.

Generate Log Files with a Trigger
The following article will show you how to log DML changes to specific tables in your database, using triggers.

High Call Volume SQL Server Applications on NUMA Systems
How is SQL Server performance affected by high call volume on NUMA-based servers?

How Using GUIDs in SQL Server Affect Index Performance
Are GUIDs a good or bad thing, from a performance perspective?

Finding Duplicate Indexes in Large SQL Server Databases
Learn how to identify duplicate indexes in a database.

Are UDFs Harmful to SQL Server Performance?
If used incorrectly, UDFs can cause SQL Server performance problems.

How to Best Implement a SQL Server Performance Audit
Best practices on how to best implement a SQL Server Performance Audit

SQL Server Database Backup Performance with Quest (Imceda) LiteSpeed for SQL Server; 3 Terabytes in Under 1 Hour
Take a look at one consultant's testing of LiteSpeed.

SQL Server Query Performance Audit Checklist
Indentify queries than run longer than they should, and use up more than their fare share of SQL Server resources.

SQL 2000 to SQL 2005: Where Have All the Old Features Gone?
Although Management Studio has some very nice long-awaited features, some of the good old stuff just isn't there.

SQL Server XML Statistics and Execution Plans
XML execution plans may not provide the results you expect.

Job Performance Audit Checklist
Jobs that run poorly-designed code, or run at bad times, can put a significant strain on SQL Server. Because of this, it is important to include your SQL Servers' jobs as part of your performance audit

SQL Server Monitoring in 8 Steps: Lessons From the Field
Learn how to monitor your SQL Server's performance. Part two of a four-part articles series.

10 Baselining Tips for SQL Server: Lessons From the Field
Learn how to baseline your SQL Servers. Part one of a four-part articles series.

Top 10 Must Have Features in O/R Mapping Tools
Object-to-relational (O/R) mapping tools are becoming more popular each day and people are realizing the productivity gain they provide to developers.

Exception Handling in SQL Server 2000 and 2005
Learn the basics of SQL Server exception handling, along with learning a little about new exception handling features in SQL Server 2005.

How to Optimize the Use of the "OR" Clause When Used with Parameters
While the "OR" clause is a very short clause, it can cause a lot of performance problems if you are not careful.

Database Configuration Settings Performance Checklist
As part of a performance audit there is a requirement to examine each database located on theserver and examine some basic database settings

SQL Server 2000 Configuration Performance Checklist
This article examines the performance-related SQL Server configuration settings.

Index Performance Audit Checklist
This article tackles the difficult task of auditing single and multiple indexes

What the IT Decision-Maker Needs to Know About SQL Server Performance Tuning
A high-level look at SQL Server performance tuning for the IT executive or manager.

Comparing the SQL Server 2000 Index Tuning Wizard and the SQL Server 2005 Database Tuning Adviser
How does the SQL Server 2005 DTA stand up against the SQL Server 2000 ITW?

A Practical Path Towards the Ultimate Microsoft SQL Server Scalability and Availability
What practical options do DBAs have for SQL Server scalability and availability?

Operating System Performance Optimization
Focusing on the base operating system, and how to optimize it in order to get the best performance out of SQL Server.

Hardware Performance Optimization
Looking at each of the major components of a SQL Server's hardware and examining what can be done to help maximize the performance of your hardware.

Comparcion Entre Index Tuning Wizard 2000 y Database Tuning Advisor 2005 Beta
In Spanish.

How to Best Implement a SQL Server Performance Audit
In this ninth and final article on how to perform a SQL Server Audit, we take a look at some best practices on how to best implement a SQL Server Performance Audit.

Scripts for Errorlog Monitoring of SQL Servers
Scripts to complement the 'Monitor Your Database Servers with DTS, Part 2: Errorlog Monitoring of SQL Servers' article.

Monitor Your Database Servers with DTS, Part 2: Errorlog Monitoring of SQL Servers
In the second of three articles on how to monitor a large number of servers from a centralized location using Data Transformation Services (DTS), I explain how to monitor SQL Server errorlogs.

Working With Temporary Views Using Common Table Expression in SQL Server 2005
This article covers a few, more advanced topics about the usage of clustered indexes in SQL Server. Not only will I try to convince you of the absolute necessity of using clustered indexes, I'll also give you some tips on how to use them in a not so obvious context.

Ownership Chains in SQL Server 2005
Learn how ownership chains are handled in SQL Server 2005.

Scripts for Backup SLA Report
Scripts to complement the 'Monitor Your Database Servers with DTS, Part 1: Backup SLA Report' article.

How SQL Server Determines an Execution Plan Using Available Indexes and Statistics
Learn how statistics are used to help determine execution plans.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services: Performance and Access Reports from the Execution Log
This is the second article on a new series on how to get the best performance out of SQL Server Reporting Services.

Automating Reindexing In SQL Server 2000
Learn how to reindex your database's indexes with the least performance overhead, automatically!

Analyzing SQL Server 2000 Data Caching
Ever wonder what is inside your SQL Server's data cache, and how it can affect your server's performance. Learn more here.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services: Execution Log Reporting: Preparation as a Data Source
This is the first article on a new series on how to get the best performance out of SQL Server Reporting Services.

Does SQL Server 2005 Clustering Really Make Sense for My Organization's Needs?
As the forum administrator for SQL-Server-Performance.Com, I see hundreds of questions from DBAs on SQL Server clustering. What always surprises me is how misunderstood clustering is.

Identify SQL Server Hardware Bottlenecks
The best place to start your SQL Server performance audit is to begin with the Performance Monitor (System Monitor).

How to Configure Virtual Server 2005 in Order to Setup a Test SQL Server Cluster
Learn how to use Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 to create an inexpensive SQL Server cluster for learning and testing.

Using Profiler to Identify Poorly Performing Queries
This is part eight of the series on how to perform a SQL Server performance audit. Learn how to identify and prioritize poorly performing queries.

SQL Server Backup Performance with Imceda LiteSpeed
Learn how Imceda's LiteSpeed compares to SQL Server's native backup ability.

Create Local Cubes with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and Microsoft Office
With OLAP you can sift through large volumes of data and make them meaningful in context to your requirement. So how do we make OLAP services available to users who are not wired in to the corporate database because they are on the move?

SQL Server 2000 & 2005 Clustering
Detailed article covering all aspects of SQL Server 2000 and 2005 clustering

How to Identify Non-Active SQL Server Indexes
Learn how to identify unused SQL Server indexes.

Eliminación de Índices no Usados
Quite los índices innecesarios.

Monitor Your Database Servers with DTS, Part 1: Backup SLA Report
In the first of three articles on how to monitor a large number of servers from a centralized location using Data Transformation Services (DTS), I explain the setup of a report that ensures that backups are happening as per the backup policy.

Transferencia de las Estadísticas de SQL Server de una Base de Datos a otra
¿Deseó siempre tener una pequeña base de datos, que pueda imitar el comportamiento de una verdadera en producción?. Aprenda cómo hacer esto en el siguiente innovador artículo.

MANTENIMIENTO: Reorganización de Índices – Actualización de Estadísticas
Aprenda alrededor reorganización de indices.

SQL PASS Community Summit vs. SQL Server Connections Conference
Don't know which SQL Server conference to attend, get one person's opinion here.

Implementing the SQL Server Multiple Publishers and Central Subscriber Replication Topology
Learn how to configure replication for multiple publishers with a central subscriber.

Large Data Operations in SQL Server
Large data operations in SQL Server may not work exactly like you would expect. Find out why in this original article.

SQL Server Replication Across Domains and the Internet
Learn how to configure replication to work across domains or the Internet.

Transferring SQL Server Statistics From One Database to Another
Have you ever wanted to have a small, test database mimic the index statistics of a much larger, production database? Learn how to do this in this innovative article.

SQL Server 2005: The Replication GUI
The replication GUI screen has changed substantially in SQL Server 2005.

SQL Server Parallel Execution Plans
Learn how parallelism affects SQL Server execution plans.

Processor Performance, Update 2004
Take an up-to-date look at processor performance.

A First Look at Execution Plan Costs in Yukon Beta 1
As you might expect Yukon creates execution plans a little differently than does previous versions of SQL Server.

Advanced SQL Server Locking
Advance your knowledge of SQL Server locking, and how it affects SQL Server's performance.

How to Attain SQL Server High Availability at Minimal Cost
Attaining highly available SQL Servers amounts to doing a lot of little things right.

An Introduction to Clustered and Non-Clustered Index Data Structures
Learn how SQL Server stored data for clustered and non-clustered indexes.

What is New with SQL Server Clustering on Windows 2003
.

Un-Install a SQL Server Cluster: Step-by-Step
.

Installation of SQL Server Clustering
.

Designing your SQL Server Cluster
.

How Clustering Works
.

Basics of SQL Server Clustering
.

How to Perform SQL Server Row-by-Row Operations Without Cursors
Boost SQL Server performance by avoiding cursors using this row-by-row processing technique.

SQL Server Connection Pooling Myths
SQL Server connection pooling, if used correctly, can greatly speed performance. Learn if you using connection pooling correctly.

SQL Server Hardware Tuning and Performance Monitoring
Learn the basics of how to use Performance Monitor to optimize your SQL Server hardware.

SQL Server Index Fragmentation and Its Resolution
Learn how to optimize the use of your table's indexes.

Demystifying the SQL Server DATETIME Datatype
Learn how to take full advantage of the SQL Server DATETIME datatype.

An Introduction to SQL Server Query Tuning
Learn the basics of how to turn queries and stored procedures.

SQL Server Application and Transact-SQL Performance Checklist
This is part seven of the series on how to perform a SQL Server performance audit. In this installment, you will learn how to perform a performance audit on Transact-SQL and application code that interacts with SQL Server.

Strategies to Reduce SQL Server Blocking
Learn how to identify and reduce SQL Server blocking.

Sending SQL Server Notifications with CDOSYS
Learn how to get e-mail notifications from SQL Server without using MAPI.

How Using the Windows 2000 Encrypted File System to Secure SQL Server Databases and Backups Affects SQL Server's Performance
While Windows 2000's encrypted file system option provides needed security, how does it affect SQL Server's performance?

SQL Server Hardware Resource Planning
Planning on getting new SQL Server hardware, this article might provide some help.

Implementing Triggers in SQL Server 2000
Learn the basics of using triggers in SQL Server 2000.

How to Select Indexes for Your SQL Server Tables
Learn the basics of when to add indexes to SQL Server tables. Includes an introduction to how to read graphical execution plans.

An Interview with the Authors of SQL Performance Tuning
In this interview, the authors tell us a little about their book and offer some advice for DBAs and SQL developers.

SQL Server Quantitative Performance Analysis
This highly informative and technical article series on SQL Server performance has been updated (some articles revised) and new articles added. (Updated and Expanded)

Processor Performance, 2002
Learn how a server's CPU can affects its performance.

SQL Server Database Index Performance Checklist
This sixth part of the SQL Server Performance Audit series covers indexes, and how to audit them for best performance.

How to Delete SQL Server Database Duplicate Rows from a Table Using a Specified Column List and No Temp Tables
Learn how to delete duplicate rows in a SQL Server database table. By David VanDeSompele.

Gigabit Ethernet Direct Connect Networking
If you need to direct connect two gigabit cards, as you might want to do in a SQL Server cluster, here's how to do it.

SQL Server Database Settings Performance Checklist
This fifth part of the SQL Server Performance Audit series covers SQL Server database options and configuration settings.

SQL Server Configuration Performance Checklist
This fourth part of the SQL Server Performance Audit series covers the SQL Server configuration settings.

Operating System Performance Checklist
This third part of the SQL Server Performance Audit series covers the operating system.

How to Interact with SQL Server's Data and Procedure Cache
Learn how SQL Server caches data and how you can manipulate it.

Advanced SQL Server DATE and DATETIME Handling
Learn how to get real milliseconds from SQL Server.

Server System Architecture, 2002
Learn about the various chipsets, and their pros and cons, available for your SQL Server.

Views in SQL Server
A view is a virtual table that consists of columns from one or more tables & Once you have defined a view, you can reference it like any other table in a database.

An Introduction to SQL Server Scalar UDFs
Learn the basics about using scalar UDFs in SQL Server 2000.

Troubleshooting SQL Server Full-Text Search Problems
Learn how to troubleshoot common full-text search problems.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services: Performance and Access Reports from the Execution Log
This is the second article on a new series on how to get the best performance out of SQL Server Reporting Services.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services: Execution Log Reporting: Preparation as a Data Source
This is the first article on a new series on how to get the best performance out of SQL Server Reporting Services.

SQL Server 7.0 and 2000 Trace Flags
Learn about documented and undocumented SQL Server 7.0 and 2000 trace flags.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services: MDX Optimization Techniques: Optimizing the CROSSJOIN() Function
Learn about the CROSSJOIN() function, whose mission it is to combine two sets of dimension members into one.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services: Enhance Cube Processing Performance with Optimize Schema
Learn more ways to reduce cube processing time using the Optimize Schema option.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services: Optimize Query Performance with a Derived Measure
Learn more ways to optimize query performance with a derived measure.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services: MDX Optimization Techniques: Segregating DISTINCT COUNT
Learn more ways to optimize the performance of DISTINCT COUNT.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services: MDX Optimization Techniques: Considering DISTINCT COUNT
Learn ways to optimize the performance of DISTINCT COUNT.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services: MDX Optimization Techniques: Optimizing NON EMPTY
Learn more ways to optimize the performance of the MDX NON EMPTY key word.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services: MDX Optimization Techniques: Caching and Additional Techniques
Learn more ways to optimize the performance of MDX, including how to use caching techniques.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services: Optimization Tools: Partition Wizard
Learn how to use the Partition Wizard to get the most performance out of SQL Server's Analysis Services.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services: MDX Optimization Techniques: Further Control of Processing Location and Expression Arrangement
Learn some advanced ways to optimize the performance of MDX.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services: Optimization Tools: Basic Usage
Learn more ways to optimize the performance of MDX, including how to use caching techniques.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services: MDX Optimization Techniques: Introduction and the Role of Processing
Learn the basics of MDX query optimization.

SQL Server Hardware Performance Checklist
This second part of the SQL Server Performance Audit series covers the SQL Server Hardware Performance Checklist.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services: Optimization Tools: Incremental Update Wizard
Learn how to use the Incremental Update Wizard to get the most performance out of SQL Server's Analysis Services.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services: Optimization Tools: Usage-Based Optimization Wizard
Learn how to use the Usage-Based Optimization Wizard to get the most performance out of SQL Server's Analysis Services.

Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services: Optimization Tools: The Storage Design Wizard
In this new article series on optimizing the performance of SQL Server's Analysis Services, learn how to use the Storage Design Wizard.

Some Useful Undocumented SQL Server 2000 Trace Flags
You can never know too much about SQL Server trace flags. In this article, find out about those that are undocumented in SQL Server 2000.

How to Perform a SQL Server Performance Audit
This is a first in a series of new articles on how to complete a SQL Server performance audit.

An Exclusive Interview with David Gugick, SQL Server Performance Expert and Software Developer
David Gugick provides over 100 tips on how to boost SQL Server performance.

Replicating Stored Procedure Execution
Learn how to replicate stored procedure execution to reduce replication overhead and boost performance.

Interview with Carl Speshock, Author of the Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Database Administrator's Guidebook
Find out more about the author of the Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Database Administrator's Guidebook, and what he thinks about SQL Server.

Kerberos Protocol Transition and Constrained Delegation
Learn how to implement Kerberos protocol transition and constrained delegation in SQL Server and IIS.

Learn About SQL Server Disaster Recovery from Vas Srinivasan of Sonasoft.com
Learn about the importance of disaster recovery in this interview with an industry expert.

An Interview with Simon Galbraith, Marketing Director of Red Gate Software, on Major Trends in the SQL Server Market
One person's perspective on what's happening in the SQL Server tools marketplace.

SQL Server 2000: View Basics
Learn the basics of Views in SQL Server 2000.

Taking a Proactive Approach with SQL Server Agent
Learn some of the basics of using SQL Server Agent.

How to Find a SQL Server Database Object
Learn how to write a stored procedure to make it easy for you to locate objects anywhere on a SQL Server.

Pros & Cons of Using SELECT, Views, and Stored Procedures in SQL Server
Learn how SQL Server treats SELECTs, views, and stored procedures

SQL Server 2000 Table Hints
Learn how to use table hints to boost the performance of SQL Server 2000.

Some Useful Undocumented SQL Server 7.0 Trace Flags
Learn about these undocumented SQL Server 7.0 trace flags.

Keep Your SQL Servers Synchronized with SQL Compare and SQL Data Compare
Do you need to keep SQL Server database in synch? If so, find out if SQL Compare and SQL Data Compare are for you.

Are SQL Server Temp Tables Really Necessary?
Learn the the pros and cons of using SQL Server temp tables. Also find out how to optimize temp tables, assuming you can't find a way to avoid using them.

An Exclusive Interview with Edward Whalen Co-Author of Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Performance Tuning
Learn what a SQL Server performance tuning expert has to say about performance tuning SQL Server.

Can Amazon Serve Customers and Protect Privacy at the Same Time? (What Data Should DBAs Keep and Discard)
As a DBA, you need to consider the kind of data you collect, and whether or not is should be kept or discarded.

Migrating from Oracle to SQL Server
Migrating from Oracle to SQL Server is not a problem, if you know how.

SQL Server 2000 I/O Configuration in a SAN/NAS Environment
Learn how disk I/O can affect SQL Server's performance.

An Exclusive Interview with Author Fernando Guerrero On How to Get the Most of ADO.NET and SQL Server
Learn from an expert on how to get the best performance out of ADO.NET and SQL Server. Fernando is the author of Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Programming by Example.

Sample SQL Server Disaster Recover Plans
Learn how other companies put together their SQL Server disaster recovery plans.

Optimizing SQL Server Stored Procedures to Avoid Recompiles
Learn how to tune your stored procedures so that they don't suffer from unnecessary recompiles.

Data Page Structures in SQL Server 6.5
Learn about the underlying architecture of SQL Server 6.5 data storage.

SQL Server Stored Procedures for Beginners
Learn the basics of writing SQL Server stored procedures.

A Script to Find SQL Server Stored Procedure Dependencies
If you want to script stored procedures in the correct order, then this script may help you out.

SQL Server Upgrade Recommendations and Best Practices Part 2: SQL Server 6.5 to 2000 Critical Upgrade Decisions and Redundant Upgrade Architecture
Part two of this article series focuses on the the technical components faced by DBAs and Developers during the upgrade process.

SQL Server Replication from 6.5 to 2000
Find out how to replicate data from a SQL Server 6.5 database to a SQL Server 2000 database. Includes some related performance tips.

SQL Server Join Nastiness Tamed: Finding Joy In The INNER LOOP
Learn how to performance optimize SQL Server joins using the INNER LOOP hint.

Making the Move from Sybase to SQL Server
If you are planning a move from Sybase to SQL Server, you had better check this article out.

How to Connect to SQL Server from Visual FoxPro
If you use Visual FoxPro to connect to SQL Server, then you will want to read this article.

How Updates are Performed in SQL Server 6.5
If you are still using SQL Server 6.5, this article on how SQL Server internally handles updates might make for some interesting reading.

Best SQL Server Performance Tuning Tips
Are you having trouble determining which performance tips produce the greatest benefits? If so, then find out the SQL Server performance tuning tips that produce the greatest benefit for the least effort expended.

How to Identify and Delete Duplicate SQL Server Records
Deleting duplicate SQL Server records is not as easy as you might expect. Learn how to identify and delete duplicate records in this article.

Create Your Own SQL Server Job Management System
If you don't have the ability to easily manage the jobs on your SQL Server, then you may want to consider writing your own SQL Server job management system, like the one described in this article.

SQL Server Techniques for Creating a Web Reporting Page — Part 3
Learn how to create a web page to extract data from a SQL Server database, with pivot/transpose.

SQL Server Startup Parameters
Learn how to take advantage of SQL Server startup options.

Track SP Changes by Automatically Saving Your SQL Server SP Text
Track SP Changes by Automatically Saving Your SQL Server SP Text

Undocumented SQL Server 2000 System Tables
Learn the inner workings of these undocumented SQL Server 2000 system tables.

Gigabit Ethernet Direct Connect Networking
If you need to direct connect two gigabit cards, as you might want to do in a SQL Server cluster, here's how to do it.

Interview with Robin Dewson, Author of Beginning SQL Server 2000 Programming
In this exclusive interview, Robin shares some of his knowledge and experience on how to get the best performance from SQL Server.

SQL Server Techniques for Creating a Web Reporting Page -- Part 2
Learn how to create a web page to extract data from a SQL Server database, with SORT and TOTAL functionality.

SQL Server Upgrade Recommendations and Best Practices Part 1: Upgrade Overview and Project Planning
First in a series of new articles on how to best upgrade SQL Server

Use the Correct ASP (ADO) Syntax to Enable Connection Pooling for Best SQL Server Performance
Learn how to take advantage of connection pooling for the fastest access to SQL Server.

Using AWE Memory in SQL Server 2000
Learn how to take advantage of AWE memory to boost the performance of SQL Server 2000.

Return Values: Getting Something Back from Your SQL Server Stored Procedures
Learn how to get return values from SQL Server stored procedures.

How to Implement SQL Server Log Shipping Using Visual Basic
Learn how you can use Visual Basic to create your own SQL Server log shipping solution.

SQL Server Techniques for Creating a Web Reporting Page — Part 1
Learn how to create a web page to extract data from a SQL Server database.

Achieving Massive Scalability with SQL Server
Traditional and emerging techniques for clustering SQL Server for applications where scalability is paramount.

How to Upgrade a SQL Server 7.0 Cluster to a SQL Server 2000 Cluster
Learn how to upgrade your current SQL Server 7.0 cluster to a SQL Server 2000 cluster.

SQL Server 2000 Undocumented Stored Procedures
Still more from author Alexander Chigrik on the secret world of undocumented SQL Server 2000 stored procedures.

Real Life DBA: Dealing with a SQL Server Cluster Failover
What's is really like to experience a SQL Server cluster failover on your most important production server?

Microsoft SQL Server & Solid State Accelerators
Using Solid State Accelerators (memory) can be an effective way to boost SQL Server I/O performance.

Testing SQL Server 2000 Clusters
Guider on how to test a SQL Server 2000 Cluster

Installing the SQL Server 2000 Service Pack
Instructions on how to install the latest service packs for SQL Server 2000

Installing SQL Server 2000 Clustering
Step by Step instructions on how to install a SQL Server 2000 Cluster

Preparing for SQL Server 2000 Clustering
Demonstrates how to install SQL Server 2000 clustering onto a Windows 2000 two-node cluster.

How to Install SQL Server 2000 Clustering
This extensive article series discusses how to install SQL Server 2000 Clustering on a Windows 2000 Cluster

The Ultimate SQL Server
What do you consider to be the ultimate SQL Server? Do you agree with this author's view of the ultimate SQL Server?

Using Index Intersection to Boost SQL Server Performance
By taking advantage of Index Intersection, you can speed up many of your queries.

Using Stored Procedures to Manage SQL Server Security
Stored Procedures are not only good for performance, they are also good for security.

Learn About SQL Server Disaster Recovery from Greg Robidoux of Edgewood Solutions
Learn About SQL Server Disaster Recovery from Greg Robidoux of Edgewood Solutions

Optimizing SQL Server Performance Using Files and Filegroups
Learn how to boost the performance of SQL Server by making proper use of filegroups.

Introduction to Data Mining with SQL Server
Learn the basics of data mining using SQL Server.

Speeding UPDATEs Using the CASE Statement
Learn how to boost the performance of your UPDATEs using the CASE statement.

Save Space To Boost SQL Server Performance
A few simple space saving techniques can speed up your SQL Server databases.

Upgrade to SQL Server 2000 SP1 for Improved Performance
Upgrading to SP1 can provide some performance boosts for SQL Server 2000.

Speed Tips For SQL Server SELECT Statements
Learn how to speed up some of your SELECT queries.

How to Search for Date and Time Values Using Microsoft SQL Server 2000
Learn how to perform searches on date and time columns. Includes some tips on performance.

Use SET STATISTICS IO and SET STATISTICS TIME to Help Tune Your SQL Server Queries
Query tuning can be tough. Learn how to make it just a little easier using SQL Server's SET STATISTICS IO and the SET STATISTICS TIME commands.

How to Write SQL to Dynamically Script Mass INSERT Statement Scripts
Learn how to write Transact-SQL code to dynamically script mass INSERT statement scripts.

How to Fix the Problem When ADO Truncates Milliseconds from SQL Server Datetime Columns
Learn how to return milliseconds from the SQL Server datetime data type using ADO and VB.

Fun with Numbers in Transact-SQL Queries
Strengthen your Transact-SQL skills by learning how to take advantage of derived tables to perform useful tasks.

Speed Up SELECT DISTINCT Queries
The next time you need to use SELECT DISTINCT, you might want to consider how you can best tune it for performance. Learn how in this article.

Create and Manage SQL Server Stored Procedures using Transact-SQL
Learn the basics of how to create and manage SQL Server stored procedures.

Troubleshooting SQL Server Full-Text Search Problems
Learn how to troubleshoot common full-text search problems.

Use This SP to Generate a SQL Server Job Report
Use this SP to create a report listing all of your SQL Server 7.0 and 2000 jobs.

Server System Architecture, 2002
Learn about the various chipsets, and their pros and cons, available for your SQL Server.

A Comparison of SQL Server 7.0 with SQL Server 2000
Are you still using SQL Server 7.0 and considering upgrading to SQL Server 2000? If so, this article may help.

Interview with Tim Hayes, dbPAL Developer and CEO of IT-Map
Learn about the "big picture" of SQL Server-based software development from an industry veteran.

Eliminate the Use of Temporary Tables For HUGE Performance Gains
Learn how to use derived tables, instead of using slow temporary tables, to speed up your application.

SQL Server 7.0 and 2000 Trace Flags
Learn about documented and undocumented SQL Server 7.0 and 2000 trace flags.

How 11GB of SQL Server Data Mysteriously Disappeared, and How I Ended Up Better Off than Before
What would you do if your SQL Server database mysteriously lost 11GB of data? Find out what happened to me. By Brad M. McGehee.

Inside SQL Server Maintenance Plans
Learn what happens under the covers when you use the Maintenance Wizard to create maintenance plans.

Manage Multiple SQL Server Installations and Databases with OSQL
Learn how to use OSQL to automate SQL Server management.

Some Useful Undocumented SQL Server 2000 Trace Flags
You can never know too much about SQL Server trace flags. In this article, find out about those that are undocumented in SQL Server 2000.

Auditing Your SQL Server Environment, Part II (Reviewing Role Memberships)
In this second article of a series, learn how to audit SQL Server role memberships

Understanding SQL Server's DBCC SHOWCONTIG
Find out how to use the DBCC SHOWCONTIG command to boost the performance of your databases.

Some Useful Undocumented SQL Server 7.0 Trace Flags
Learn about these undocumented SQL Server 7.0 trace flags.

Some Useful Undocumented SQL Server 7.0 and 2000 DBCC Commands
Author Alexander Chigrik is at it again, showing you more undocumented commands, this time DBCC commands for SQL Server 7.0 and 2000.

Who Needs SQL Server Change Management?
Many DBAs give little thought to SQL Server change management, but is this really a good idea?

How to Script User and Role Object Permissions in SQL Server
Use these scripts to help you move object permissions from one database to another.

Auditing Your SQL Server Environment Part I
Learn how to audit login security in your SQL Servers.

The Self-Taught DBA
Are you thinking of becoming a master DBA? If so, find out how you can.

Overview of the SQL Server Security Model and Security Best Practices
Learn about the SQL Server security model and SQL Server security best practices.

SQL Server 7.0 Undocumented Stored Procedures
More from author Alexander Chigrik as he helps us discover the secret world of undocumented SQL Server 7.0 stored procedures.

An Introduction to SQL Server Clustering
Learn the basics of how to create high-availability SQL Server clusters

Not All SQL Server Indexes Are Created Equal
Just because a column has an index doesn't mean the SQL Server Query Analyzer will use it. Learn how to create indexes SQL Server will use.

How to Perform SQL Server Log Shipping
You learn how to manually implement log shipping for SQL Server 7.0

SQL Server Replication from 6.5 to 2000
Find out how to replicate data from a SQL Server 6.5 database to a SQL Server 2000 database. Includes some related performance tips.

Data Page Structures in SQL Server 6.5
Learn about the underlying architecture of SQL Server 6.5 data storage.

How to Troubleshoot SQL Server 7.0 Installation Issues
Find out how to troubleshoot failed SQL Server 7.0 installations.

Using One-Way Functions to Protect Sensitive Information in SQL Server Databases
Find out how one-way functions can be used to help protect sensitive data in your SQL Server databases.

Creating Logins for Databases Restored to a Replacement SQL Server
Find out how you can easily move SQL Server logins from one server to another.

How Updates are Performed in SQL Server 6.5
If you are still using SQL Server 6.5, this article on how SQL Server internally handles updates might make for some interesting reading.

Start Preparing Today for the SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Certification Exam
This article provides tips on how to prepare to take the SQL Server 2000 Enterprise certification test.

Compare SQL Server Databases with sp_CompareDB
Use this powerful, free, stored procedure to compare database structures and data.

SQL Server 6.5 Useful Undocumented Stored Procedures
Author Alexander Chigrik helps us discover the secret world of undocumented SQL Server 6.5 stored procedures.

Useful Undocumented SQL Server Extended Stored Procedures
SQL Server offers many features that are not documented in the Books Online. Here are some of the undocumented extended stored procedures found in SQL Server 7.0 and 2000.

SQL Server TSQL Coding Conventions, Best Practices, and Programming Guidelines
Learn the basics of writing top-notch Transact-SQL code.

Undocumented SQL Server 7.0 System Tables
Learn the inner workings of these undocumented SQL Server 7.0 system tables.

Some Useful Undocumented SQL Server 6.5 DBCC Commands
If you are still supporting SQL Server 6.5, then this article on undocumented SQL Server 6.5 DBCC commands may prove very useful.

Windows 2000 Cluster Services: Testing and Verifying the Windows 2000 Cluster Service
How to Test and Verify the Cluster Installation

Install Windows 2000 Cluster Services: Installing the Windows 2000 Cluster Service: Node 1
Installing the Windows 2000 Cluster Service

Install Windows 2000 Clustering Services: Establishing User Accounts and Security
Establishing User Accounts and Security for a Clustering Installation

Install Windows 2000 Cluster Services: Installing and Configuring Windows 2000
Configuring Windows 2000 for a Clustering Installation

Install Windows 2000 Cluster Services: Selecting and Preparing the Hardware
Selecting and Preparing the Hardware for a Windows 2000 Cluster Installation

How to Install Windows 2000 Cluster Services
This extensive article discusses how to install the Windows 2000 Cluster Service in preparation for installing SQL Server clustering.

Getting The Best From The SQL Server Index Tuning Wizard
If you have never used the Index Tuning Wizard before, then this article is for you.

SQL Server Full Text Search Optimization
Learn how to help boost the performance of SQL Server's full-text search.

Using XML To Supercharge Website Performance
Learn how to take advantage of XML to boost SQL Server's and your website's performance.

The Importance of E-Commerce, DSS and OLTP Database End-User Service Level Analysis
The ability to provide high database service levels for your end-users is important. Learn why in this article.

Use OPENXML to Minimize SQL Server Database Calls
Learn how to use the new SQL Server 2000 OPENXML function to reduce database calls and boost your ASP page's performance.

Avoiding Bottlenecks with Temporary Tables
Learn how to avoid locking the tempdb database when creating temporary tables using SQL Server 6.5 and 7.0.

StrCat.Catter - An Efficient String Concatenation Component
This is a technical article aimed toward ASP/SQL developers who are looking to help speed the concatenation of strings, such as SQL query strings. It describes a COM component created by the author to speed string concatenation.

SQL Server Lock Contention Tamed: The Joys Of NOLOCK and ROWLOCK
Learn how to use the NOLOCK and ROWLOCK hints to reduce locking and speed your application.

How to Do SQL Server Performance Trend Analysis Part 1: Using Performance Monitor to Log Data
This is the first part of a four-part article on how to perform SQL Server Performance Trend Analysis. This part focuses on how to best log data using Performance Monitor.

How to Do SQL Server Performance Trend Analysis Part 2: Storing Performance Data in SQL Server
Part two of a four-part tutorial. This part discusses how to use SQL Server to store Performance Monitor log data.

How to Do SQL Server Performance Trend Analysis Part 3: Storing Performance Data in SQL Server
This is the third part of a four-part article on how to perform SQL Server Performance Trend Analysis. It shows you how to import Performance Monitor data into Microsoft Excel for Trend Analysis.

How to Do SQL Server Performance Trend Analysis Part 4: Storing Performance Data in SQL Server
Final part of a four-part article on how to perform SQL Server Performance Trend Analysis, shows how to interpret Performance Monitor counters.

Implementing SQL Server in an OLTP Environment
An introduction to SQL Server performance tuning in an Online Transaction Processing environment. By Eric Charran.

SQL Server Performance Tuning Basics
A collection of general performance tuning tips for readers who are new to SQL Server performance tuning methodology. This article is periodically updated.

How to Take Advantage of SQL Server 2000 Performance Tuning Tools
An introduction to the key tools included with SQL Server 2000 to help you performance tune your SQL Server applications.

Performance Tuning for SQL Server Developers
A special look at SQL Server performance tuning from the perspective of a developer. This includes Transact-SQL, ASP, VB, Access, and FoxPro developers.