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Migrating Microsoft Access Databases to SQL Server 2008

Microsoft Access is a very good database solution, but it has limits. While the portability of mdb and accdb files is convenient, there are advantages to moving to the less portable SQL Server solution. If you do have SQL Server, there's very little reason not to consider migrating your Access Databases. Not all custom-made Access applications easily lend themselves to a SQL Server solution so you'll need to do some analysis before choosing a migration path.

2011-07-26

3,430 reads

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Managing SQL Server Service Broker Environments

SQL Server Service Broker (SSBS) is a new architecture (introduced with SQL Server 2005 and enhanced further in SQL Server 2008 and later versions) that allows you to write asynchronous, decoupled, distributed, persistent, reliable, scalable and secure queuing/message-based applications within the database itself. Arshad Ali looks at how we can manage, monitor and troubleshoot Service Broker environments.

2011-07-21

2,085 reads

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Yet Another SQL Strategy for Versioned Data

There is a popular design for a database that requires a built-in audit-trail of amendments and additions, where data is never deleted, but superseded by a later version. Whilst this is conceptually simple, it has always made reporting the latest version of data complicated. Alex Kuznetsov joins the debate on the best way of doing this with an example using an indexed view and the filtered index.

2011-07-15

3,274 reads

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Identifying PII Data to Lock Down in SQL Server - Part 1

We're pretty confident that we have locked down and encrypted our financial data, but a lot of our customer's PII (Personally Identifiable Information) data is still held in unencrypted form. This data is able to be selected directly by read only business users on many of our downstream reporting, datawarehouse and standby servers. The rise of identity theft makes protecting this data imperative. DBAs are the custodians of this information and must protect it like we protect our own personal information. Recent publicity over the theft of Sony PSN data underscores both the economic and ethical importance of protecting personal data.

2011-07-14

2,864 reads

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Questions About SQL Server Distribution Statistics

Fabiano Amorim was asked a couple of questions about SQL Server Distribution Statistics. Having given an answer based on his current knowledge, he then decided to find out for himself whether what he'd said was right, and started an epic journey of exploration into Distribution Statistics and the way that the Query Optimiser uses them.

2011-07-13

2,132 reads

External Article

Questions About SQL Server Distribution Statistics

Fabiano Amorim was asked a couple of questions about SQL Server Distribution Statistics. Having given an answer based on his current knowledge, he then decided to find out for himself whether what he'd said was right, and started an epic journey of exploration into Distribution Statistics and the way that the Query Optimiser uses them.

2011-07-12

2,173 reads

External Article

How to develop TSQL Code

The basic texts for developing SQL code tend to leave unsaid the basic techniques for building routines such as stored procedures in TSQL. Phil Factor is well-known for his more lengthy and complex stored procedures, so we asked him to explain in more detail how he goes about developing things without the comfort of Visual Studio.

2011-07-08

3,997 reads

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Question of the Day

Creating a JSON Document III

I have this data in a table called dbo.NFLTeams 

TeamID  TeamName       City             YearEstablished
------  --------       ----             ---------------
1       Cowboys        Dallas           1960
2       Eagles         Philadelphia     1933
3       Packers        Green Bay        1919
4       Chiefs         Kansas City      1960
5       49ers          San Francisco    1946
6       Broncos        Denver           1960
7       Seahawks       Seattle          1976
8       Patriots       New England      1960
If I run this code, how many rows are returned? 
SELECT TOP 2 
  json_objectagg('Team' : TeamName)
FROM dbo.NFLTeams;

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