This level of the Stairway will cover the details of SQL Server transactional and merge replication, from understanding the basic terminology and methodology of setting up replication, to describing how it works and how the basic replication processes can be monitored.   Read more...

This article takes a closer look at SQL Server getdate() and sysdatetime() functions.  Read more...

This Friday Steve Jones asks about change control for the Friday poll.  Read more...

If you will be in London on Mar 29th, come to the official UK launch of SQL Server 2012 at SQL Bits X.  Read more...

A benefit of using computed columns is that they can save developers from having to write calculation logic at the application layer; at the table level, the application can simply reference the computed column. In addition, performance can be improved by persisting a computed column and building an index on it.  Read more...

Be careful while using the ISNULL function  Read more...

Why are they here? Why is anyone?  Read more...

Learn how to post a Twitter status update with 5 lines of T-SQL using a third party library.  Read more...

To kick off a series of DBA worst case scenarios, we asked Phil Factor to confess. He came up with a classic: The mistaken belief that a backup WITH CHECKSUM guaranteed a good backup that could be restored, and the ensuing disaster.  Read more...

Steve Jones learns a new trick working with T-SQL, and is surprised how easy it is. He recommends you work on updating your skills over time as well.  Read more...

Internal and external fragmentation – Causes, cures, and when not to care  Read more...

Steve Jones talks today about storage innovations from the large cloud vendors and how that can relate to your job as a database professional.  Read more...

Come see Brad McGehee, Grant Fritchey, Steve Jones, and more SQL Server speakers at the SQL Server Connections conference in Las Vegas this spring. Get away from the cold on Mar 26, 2011 and learn about the new version of SQL Server.  Read more...

In a recent MSSQLTips.com question, a user asked how they could get an alert whenever a login failed due to the account being locked out. As with many problems, there are several ways to solve this issue.   Read more...

Switching from 32 BIT SQL Server to a 64 BIT edition illustrates how removing a bottleneck from a system can have a detrimental affect overall  Read more...

SQL Saturday is hitting Dublin for the first time on March 24th.  Read more...

Today we have a guest editorial from Andy Warren. When you need to take notes, how do you do it? Have you thought about it and experimented? Read on to see what Andy Warren does.  Read more...

Derek slips a cog.  Read more...

Row Sampling Transformation and Percentage Sampling Transformation provide data sampling functionality. This functionality is useful in a number of Analysis Services and Data Mining-based scenarios.  Read more...

This article describes the requirements to log ship databases between workgroup computers  Read more...