SQL Server 2008 introduced many new functional and performance improvements for data warehousing, and SQL Server 2008 R2 includes all these and more. This paper discusses how to use SQL Server 2008 R2 to get great performance as your data warehouse scales up. We present lessons learned during extensive internal data warehouse testing on a 64-core HP Integrity Superdome during the development of the SQL Server 2008 release, and via production experience with large-scale SQL Server customers. Our testing indicates that many customers can expect their performance to nearly double on the same hardware they are currently using, merely by upgrading to SQL Server 2008 R2 from SQL Server 2005 or earlier, and compressing their fact tables. We cover techniques to improve manageability and performance at high-scale, encompassing data loading (extract, transform, load), query processing, partitioning, index maintenance, indexed view (aggregate) management, and backup and restore.

Stalking the Bad Guys

by Steve Jones

SQLServerCentral.com

Editorial

What do yo do if you find malicious code in your system? Delete it? Steve Jones suggests that a honeypot might be a better idea.

Database Management for SharePoint 2010

by Additional Articles

SimpleTalk

Sharepoint

With each revision, SharePoint becomes more a SQL Server Database application, with everything that implies for planning and deployment. There are advantages to this: SharePoint can make use of mirroring, data-compression and remote BLOB storage. It can employ advanced tools such as data file compression, and object-level restore. DBAs can employ familiar techniques to speed SharePoint applications. Bert explains the way that SharePoint and SQL Server interact.

Asynchronous Procesing with Service Broker

by Gary Strange

SQLServerCentral.com

Service Broker (SSSB)

Service Broker is a great feature that allows you to defer processing in SQL Server. Learn how you can have processes work together, but in an asynchronous fashion in this piece from Gary Strange.

Working Long or Working Hard?

by Steve Jones

SQLServerCentral.com

Editorial

Would you rather work longer hours or tackle harder work? Steve Jones comments today on a recent post by Seth Godin. The answer as to what most people prefer might surprise you.

SQL Server Replication: Providing High Availability using Database Mirroring

by Additional Articles

SQLCAT

Replication

This white paper describes how to use database mirroring to increase the availability of the replication stream in a transactional environment. The document covers setting up replication in a mirrored environment, the effect of mirroring partnership state changes, and the effect of mirroring failovers on replication. In addition, it describes how to use LSN-based initialization to recover from the failover of a mirrored Subscriber database.

A story of corrupted Master database in SQL Server 2008

by Yogeshwar Phull

SQLServerCentral.com

Administration

This is a real-time production issue I faced with one of our clients

Competing with an MBA

by Steve Jones

SQLServerCentral.com

Editorial

If you are looking to move into management, do you need an MBA? It's nice, but Steve Jones notes that many people are realizing that an MBA doesn't necessarily prepare you to manage other people or lead them in a company.