I spent this past weekend traveling to and attending SQL Saturday Colorado in the outskirts of Denver.  This was the...  Read more...

I’ve fielded a number of requests recently asking how to interrogate a file within SSIS and change the processing rules...  Read more...

How to set all tempdb datafiles to same size to meet best practice.   Read more...

Find the country, region and city of a user from an IP address using SQL Server. Oscar Garcia provides some code and resources if you want to dig into your analytics on your own.  Read more...

Use dynamic PivotTables to identify unused Stored Procedures in a SQL Server 2005/2008 database  Read more...

The concluding part of the Oracle / SQL Server comparison looks at error logging, security, installation and finally querying the databases.  Read more...

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.   Read more...

I've been using the scripting tools in SSIS for some time, but I came across something today that I can't...  Read more...

Part II or the Oracle / SQL Server comparison dives deeper into databases by exploring the architectural differences.   Read more...

Part I of the Oracle / SQL Server comparison looks at the various editions of each database and their structure.  Read more...

Is Microsoft SQL Server superior to MySQL or not? What are the pros and cons of using SQL Server over MySQL? Is MySQL mature enough to compete with a big player like Microsoft and Oracle? Can we fairly compare both products?  Read more...

I saw someone post a question recently about running out of identity values in an INT column. It happens, it’s...  Read more...

The conversation on local administrators having rights in SQL Server has proven to be interesting and at times entertaining. My...  Read more...

Permissions on our development servers are considerably less stringent than elsewhere with developers afforded the freedom to restore backup’s ad-hoc....  Read more...

SQL Server Reporting Services 2008 introduced several new features. One key feature was the inclusion of the Gauge Controls. I...  Read more...

We often take the advice given to us on forums or in articles at face value. Even though the authors...  Read more...

  At most large companies one business requirement is that all reports have the same look and feel.  This may vary...  Read more...

Every so often I see a post in a forum or on Twitter about the use of xp_cmdshell. Usually it is someone looking for...  Read more...

Welcome back to our last class this term on security in SQL Server here at SQL University. According to the syllabus,...  Read more...

Modeling and programming a neural Network in SQL Server from new author Silvia Cobialca. Learn how you might be able to implement this AI construct in SQL Server to make predictions.  Read more...