Often, an existing database application must evolve rapidly by incremental steps. Alex describes a tried and tested system to provide an automated approach to deploying both new and existing database systems, whilst dealing with common security and configuration issues.  Read more...

Database refactoring is a difficult proposition at the best of times, but is rendered more or less impossible if the database is close-coupled to the application's other components. In a guest editorial, Mladen Prajdic stresses the importance of a native SQL Server abstraction layer.  Read more...

Have you ever been required to create a database with nothing but a specification in Excel?  Read more...

An overview of what's involved in the two exams you need to pass to become a Microsoft IT Professional in SQL Server 2008.  Read more...

I think the database developer role is on the rise and that it's better suited for agile practices - but guidance...  Read more...

When information is exchanged in XML format, there needs to be an agreement between the sender and receiver about the structure and content of the XML document. An XSD (XML Schema Definition Language) Schema can be used to enforce this contract and validate the XML data being exchanged. Jacob Sebastian's book explains all.  Read more...

Phil recently had to draw up a list of 'top ten' pieces of advice for programmers who were starting out as database developers. It is a difficult thing to do when one is immersed in the study of the intricacies and detail of the plumbing of SQL Server.  Read more...

This article by Jack Corbett explains what triggers are, the different types, and how to avoid common mistakes.  Read more...

Part 2 of new T-SQL enhancements from Srinivas Sampath. SQL Server 2005 contains a number of enhancements designed to allow you to write more powerful queries while keeping the code structured in a way that makes development and understanding it easier. Building on his first look at Common Table Expressions, Srinivas now looks at recursive queries with CTEs.   Read more...

Reporting Services is one of the most popular features of SQL Server 2005 and there have been a tremendous number of enhancements to this subsystem. New author Bilal Khawaja brings us a look at dynamic connection strings and how you can have one report pulling data from different servers.   Read more...

Reporting Services is one of the most widely used subsystems in SQL Server and there have been some very creative solutions invented by DBAs around the world. New author Carolyn Richardson is one of those, bringing us a implementation that tracks uptime and disk space for her SQL Servers   Read more...

What is the page size in SQL Server 2005? That's an easy question, but what is the maximum row size? They're not the same thing and ANdy Warren shows you why.   Read more...

Reporting Services has proven to be one of the more useful subsystems of SQL Server. However the standard editions of both SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005 have limitations with regard to the subscription features. Jason Selberg brings us an updated version of his code for extending the subscription feature.   Read more...

Reporting Services has been greatly enhanced in SQL Server 2005 and become an integral tool in many SQL Server installations. Longtime autor Raj Vasant brings us an example of how you can enhance your reports with custom coded DLLs called from within the reporting engine.   Read more...

One of the more interesting new features in SQL Server 2005 is the Service Broker. It's not something to help you manage your financial future, nor is it some new program that handles all the instances and their accounts. It's a message queue and SQL Server MVP Srinivas Sampath brings us a look at this new feature with some code to get you going.   Read more...

One of the most requested features from SQL Server developers is the integration of source control with T-SQL code. SQL Server Management Studio brings some integration with Visual Source Safe and longtime SQL Server author Raj Vasant explains it to us.   Read more...

SQL Server 2005 has changed many of the ways in which we will use SQL Server in the future with a dizzying array of new features and enhancements. Sureshkumar Ramakrishnan brings us the second part in a series looking at what these changes do and how to use them.   Read more...

SQL Server 2005 has changed many of the ways in which we will use SQL Server in the future with a dizzying array of new features and enhancements. Sureshkumar Ramakrishnan brings us the first part in a series looking at what these changes do and how to use them.   Read more...

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.  Read more...

BI Architect Bill Pearson begins a three-part sub-series on Caching Options within Reporting Services 2005. In this article, we focus upon Report Session Caching.  Read more...