Thanks Robert good point...

I didn't read it before...

I think DDL trigger only works for create and alter statements...sp_rename uses "  EXEC %%Object(ID = @objid).SetName(Name = @newname)" statement to rename the table...

To minimize the down time:

If you are installing sql 2005 on new server to migrate from different sql 2000 box... Backup/Restore will reduce the down time...

If you are installing sql...

Looks the widows AT command help...

You can exeucte AT commad with the help of xp_cmdshell if you want to do with sql server...

A) there are settings within the config of the MSSQL install to better manage data traffic using the 32-bit version,

I don't think there any specail configuration you need for...

Yes, condolences will be required...sooner or later...

I have two of them each 250+GB but they are not even 100 million...

It is xp_cmdshell not xp_commandshell...

From BOL:

xp_cmdshell operates synchronously. Control is not returned until the command shell command completes.

When you grant execute permissions to users, the users can execute any operating-system...

http://www.databasedesign-resource.com/sql-server-dba.html

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.sqlserver.server/browse_thread/thread/d8de4ac895cce1e2/29f02c1ee03c6d9a?lnk=st&q=tasks+to+do+as+a+sql+server+DBA&rnum=7&hl=en#29f02c1ee03c6d9a

There is no sql agent in SQL Express edition...

I believe you can create a bactch file using OSQL utility and execute that batch file using the widows/Task scheduler...

Last PASS conference Kalen Delaney or some other MVP was mentioning to be very careful (don't use) while using NOLOCK...

Using the NOLOCK decision is totally upto your own decision based...

Use database mail configuration wizard or procedures...

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms177215.aspx

Database Mail Configuration Stored Procedures 

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms175862.aspx

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190307.aspx

Did you BULK_INSERT/Linked server queries to load the data... you can totally aoid SSIS package...

Are you loading from text files are from sql tables?

If I'm reading this right, the online index operation using the "ALTER INDEX" statement can fail on ANY table with a clustered index.  Is that correct?  If so, that seems pretty...

It is better to change the autogrow configuration as advised but if you don't have the access...

You can reduce your batch size to 1/10/100 instead of 1000 row in single...

And also you should know database activity...

It depends on the data inserted into your db...

If you want spend money there is tool from Quest which provides Trend Analysis...