Can't, not with your set of restrictions. You're insisting that the easiest solution not be used and that a feature that has nothing to do with audits be used instead.

If you don't partition-align all your indexes, you cannot switch partitions out. If you don't partition the clustered index, then you haven't got a partitioned table at all.

Does the folder exist?

EmptyFile is only valid when shrinking a data file. It's completely ignored when specified on a log file. Nothing can ever move log records around within a log file.

No.

You didn't answer any of my questions.

GilaMonster (8/14/2013)

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What's the DB's RPO? RTO? What are the audit requirements for DDL? DML? What are the security requirements around who can do what?

etc,...

A...

Ed Wagner (8/14/2013)

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1. Import into a temporary table. Don't worry about the order.

2. Insert into your real table using a SELECT on your temporary table with an ORDER BY...

Is there some muttering somewhere in the background?

😛

2, 3, 4 and 5, fine, all achievable

1 - https://www.simple-talk.com/sql/database-administration/gail-shaws-sql-server-howlers/

What's the goal of the partitioning? What are you expecting to achieve?

https://www.simple-talk.com/sql/database-administration/gail-shaws-sql-server-howlers/

Open 2008's SSMS. Register all the servers you need to run the query against. Right click the folder (in Registered Servers) -> New Query. Write your query, run it.

Yes. Splitting/merging partitions requires schema modification locks, that's essentially exclusive...

Well, I guess the first step is to identify requirements, before grabbing a solution at random.

What's the DB's RPO? RTO? What are the audit requirements for DDL? DML? What are...