" ... 1. For each table, insert the data, to be deleted, into a corresponding "purged" table, to remain there for one day only. ..."

In this step, your "purged" table...

We do something similar when we do large updates or purges. We store them in another DB that is simple recovery, rather than clutter up production.

Maddogs ....  Yes, I'm a homebrewer, although I haven't done much lately.  We have a good homebrew club here in SW Connecticut.  I switched to full mash & good yeast...

Thanks for the replies !!  You guys were spot on, even though you didn't see the code !  The recompile did not seem to help, not did the UNION ALL. ...

SQLBill .... My thoughts exactly

SG:    WinRar is shareware (I think). After your regular SQL backup, you would "RAR" your .BAK file instead of trying to "ZIP" it, because ZIP can only handle "small" files.

I don't understand what the anit-stored procedure argument is !    Some issues can be argued one way or another, and both have merits.  But what are the merits of not...

I was going to reply similar to fhanlon.  We code our DTS packages in jobs like this:

DTSRun /S SERVER_NAME_HERE /E /N "DTS NAME HERE"

Display an Execution Plan for the SP to look for code that needs optimizing  ( ie table scans ...)

You could first load into a staging table that allows null, then in your DTS have a 2nd step that does:

 INSERT INTO REAL_TABLE SELECT * FROM STAGING_TABLE where COLUMN1 is not...

I don't check that deeply. I make sure it suceeded, no errors, data is fully accessible, connections work .... etc ...

Yes.   You backup your database "PRODUCTION_DB" and then do a restore, and in the TO DATABASE box you put the new DB name "PRACTICE_RESTORE"

It could be initiated from another server. For instance, a utility server running a reindex job, setting the DB to simple first to avoid huge t-log growth, but forgetting to...

Replace did the trick. Thanks to both of you !

We just did it a couple of weekends ago.  "Piece of cake"  You just use the Enterprise Installer, and select the upgrade option.  I think it was a grand total...