I've almost always created a user in AD/Windows with no rights, assigned this user as the anon account in IIS. Then I can use it to run a DAL or...

Some good advice given, and sorry you're in a tough situation.

My advice would be this: change your attitude while you're there. Don't try to be a perfectionist, don't try to...

We can't know if there's a lock. You can check for blocking, as noted above, but what application is it? I might suggest you contact the vendor for that application.

You don't downgrade the server. The license has downgrade rights. You just install a SQL Server 2005 instance from the SS2K5 media

A login allows you access to the server. A user allows you to access a database. The link between these is what gives you access to the data (and permissions...

Likely you have an implicit conversion occurring somewhere. If you change to

month( dt_begin ) = month( getdate))

and day (dt_begin) = month(getdate())

and year( dr_begin) = year( getdate())

does that...

There are multiple reasons, but often it's a different execution plan than you expect, and that can be because of statistics being out of date. I usually look to check...

There's 2 things here. One is reformatting, one is documenting.

For reformatting, I'd get a tool. You'll waste the cost of the tool easy in doing this by hand. Red Gate...

That has to be an application message. SQL Server doesn't notify you of a lock. It just tries to wait until a timeout elapses, or the lock clears.

Applications sometimes raise...

If you want to do a maintenance task, I'd check integrity first (if you have time), then backup, then maintenance cleanup, then history cleanup.

If you can't do integrity every night,...

Downgrade rights are here: http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/licensing-faq.aspx

If you have a new question, please start your own thread rather than piggy backing.

The installation steps for the cluster are on the Windows and SQL Server sites at Microsoft.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa996568.aspx

https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=490420

Blandry has a great point. You definitely should be aware of retention of data that's needed, especially for legal reasons. That's one reason I'd like a backup of any items...

I've emailed with Gail a little. She's busy with life, should be back soon.

Pradeep is correct. EVERY log backup needs to go to the secondary to be restored. If you keep the maintenance plan, you'll have to manually ensure those backups get moved...