Andy starts a new series about Worst Practices - come find out why and read about the first one on his list - using Hungarian Notation for column names!   Read more...

Last week Andy launched a new series about Worst Practices by talking about why the Hungarian naming convention is bad for column names. This week he's at it again, declaring that the practice of having objects owned by anyone other than dbo is BAD! Agree or disagree, we think you'll enjoy reading this article and adding your thoughts to the discussion!   Read more...

Working with a QA server in SQL Server 2000 is something everyone should learn to do. Having some staging area between development and production will help ensure a more stable environment and smoother deployments. After a little hiatus, Steve Jones continues with this series looking at moving the latest backup over to QA.   Read more...

From SQLTeam's Bill Granazio, a look at how he ensures his database scripts are always working.  Read more...

The final installment in Darren Fuller's series on change management in SQL Server. If you haven't read the others, be sure to go through them before reading this one to learn how automating your version control in SQL Server is needed for any development shop.   Read more...

SQL Server can grow to encompass hundreds of databases on a single server, each having hundreds or thousands of objects within it. A truly scalable RDBMS. However, how many times have you been searching through the Object Browser in QA or the left pane in Enterprise Manager searching for an object? New Author Ashish Kaushal gives us a method to easily search your server for that long lost object.   Read more...

Part 3 of Darren Fullers series on automating change management for SQL Server. A must read if you perform development and need a system to ensure that all changes are tracked.   Read more...

The second part of the series by Darren Fuller on SQL Server change management, version control, and ways that you can automate this approach. If you do any type of SQL Server development, having a version control system is key to ensuring stability and keeping to your deadlines. Whether you agree with this approach or not, it's good information to have.   Read more...

SQL Server change management is tough. The tools don't integrate with version control systems, there isn't good administrative controls to enforce control, and often you need to buy a third party tool to make this work. New Author Darren Fuller takes a look at the various ways in which you can implement version control in SQL Server. This is part one of a four part series on version control in SQL Server.   Read more...

Sysforeignkeys is a valuable SQL Server resource. How many times have you had to "pick up the pieces" from a database developed by someone else and dropped on your desk? Ever get a database diagram with that? A data dictionary? Probably not too often. Jeffrey Yao has developed a system of finding those parent-child relationships automatically and displaying them so he can get up to speed quickly on these inherited databases. Read on to find out more.   Read more...

SQL Server has no change management integrated with the native tools. This means that each person must develop their own method of handling changes, or live with the chaos that will inevitably ensue. There are a number of articles written about various ways to handle change management and Dinesh Asanka shares his here. Read on and see if this helps you get a handle on changes in your environment.   Read more...

Do you have to refresh a test or QA server from the production system? Do you have a good process or is it a spur of the moment, let's get it done thing? Here's a look at Steve Jones' process, which was used weekly for well over a year.   Read more...

This article by Chris Kempster covers a wide variety of areas concerned with data migration. Primarily, it focuses on process, standards and some of the many issues to consider when undertaking this role.   Read more...

This month Robert covers the process he uses for developing stored procedures. In many ways it reflects how software is developed, but it does have it's minor differences. This is a high level process discussion, not a line by line example of the entire process - by design of course.   Read more...

This article is the first of a multi-part series detailing the SQL Server Upgrade process from the technical, logistical and business perspective.   Read more...

Your software has passed all testing phase(s) and it is time to install your database into production. Andy Jones will outline below how he accomplished this task. This article is concerned with an evolving system and how to migrate it to production.   Read more...

Standards are important in the computer business, both the hardware and software side. After looking at Coding Standards in a previous series, Steve Jones looks at the server side of standards beginning with hardware.   Read more...

You have spent thousands of dollars on that cool technology; clustering, redundant controllers, redundant disks, redundant power supplies, redundant NIC cards, multiple network drops, fancy tape backup devices and the latest and greatest tape technology. You are all set. There is no way your going to have downtime. Right?   Read more...

In this article, columnist Christopher Duncan shows you how to create your dream development project.   Read more...

Last week Andy launched a new series about Worst Practices by talking about why the Hungarian naming convention is bad for column names. This week he's at it again, declaring that the practice of having objects owned by anyone other than dbo is BAD! Agree or disagree, we think you'll enjoy reading this article and adding your thoughts to the discussion!   Read more...