information_schema.columns

Has data type, and lengths. Need to limit by column and table.

The CUs aren't regression tested, and do sometimes introduce issues. SPs include the CUs, plus potential internal fixes for things that were in a customer specific hot fix, or might...

There isn't a good way to do this. The export wizard will help, but you'll need to write scripts that would still find the client data based on criteria.

The easiest...

Selecting the execute permission in SSMS is the same as executing the GRANT in T-SQL. You should be fine.

The permissions are in the role, not the stored procedure.

The snow's up here in Colorado! We had a white Christmas with my oldest and wife going skiing 🙂

AFAIK, you cannot commit that transaction. How would the server know if all work has been done for the transaction? Another connection can't necessarily know that, so the only thing...

That should be fine, though a couple notes.

1. Should be OK, you didn't add the dbo role to this role, correct?

2. You add permissions to the role, you don't...

There is also Shared Scalable Databases (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms345584%28SQL.90%29.aspx)

Or you can replicate read only data to other servers and have one central write server. As John mentioned, there is no load balancing...

George is correct, watch the log. The log transactions should not clear until they've been copied out of the distributor, even with log backups. So your log may grow if...

What do you need to do with SQL Server? It's a huge platform. I guess that a basic t-SQL course would make some sense. there's a tutorial here: http://www.w3schools.com/SQl/default.asp

I'd also...

I think this large log file is the publisher, correct?

If so, the log file could be there if you have replication troubles. Things can't be cleared from the log until...

Expire means that the space can be resused, not that the file/data is removed. As Jeffrey mentioned, you need to cleanup yourself.

Barry, I'd love to come, but the timing doesn't work for me. I'll look forward to seeing one in 2011, and I'll try to come out.

Nice job, Tim! I enjoyed reading it.

No, I'd leave slightly more than 1GB for the OS. I might leave it 1.5 or 2GB, then set the rest for SQL Server. The value, I believe, is in...