Reading Ad Hoc Text Files with OpenDataSource
Discusses the techniques and reasons to use opendatasource for reading text files in SQL Server 2005.
Log Shipping with SQL Server 2005
Log shipping has been a mechanism for maintaining a warm standby server for years. Though SQL Server supported log shipping with SQL Server 2000 as a part of DB Maintenance Plan, it has become a built-in feature of SQL Server 2005. This article gives brief introduction to SQL Server 2005 Log Shipping, configuration of it, monitoring of it and failing over at the disaster.
Reporting Services: Using XML and Web Service Data Sources
This white paper consolidates general information, best practices, and tips for designing Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) reports. It is intended to provide a starting point for design questions and an overview of some of the capabilities of Reporting Services.
Creating Location Independent SSIS packages
Building SSIS packages and deploying them to production can be a challenge as connection strings and directory structures change. Longtime SQL Server guru Jacob Sebastian brings us a technique for building packages to make this easier.
Customizable Error Log Scanning
Monitoring your servers for issues and alerts is something every DBA should be doing on a regular basis. However even with a small number of servers, a DBA can easily be overwhelmed if some level of automation is not implemented. Thomas LaRock brings us a method of scanning your error logs automatically and notifying the DBA of problems.
The Downside of Real Time
Everyone wants real time reporting, or do they? Steve Jones talks about some of the downsides of implementing such a system.
Configure aliases for SQL Server databases and servers
Configure alias names for SQL Server database objects and servers. Make fewer changes to application code and configurations with SQL Server alias methods.
Understand when to use user-defined functions in SQL Server
In the simplest terms, a user-defined function (UDF) in SQL Server is a programming construct that accepts parameters, does work that typically makes use of the accepted parameters, and returns a type of result. This article will cover two types of UDFs: table-valued and scalar-valued.
Differential Backups Internals
Describes how data changes for differential backups are recorded using dbcc page
Do We Need a PK?
A primary key is a must for every table. Or is it? Steve Jones examines the question.
Blogs
Red Flags in Your Query (T-SQL Tuesday #200)
By Zikato
When I'm looking at a query, I bet it's bad if I see... a...
T-SQL Tuesday #200: When I Look at a Query …
By Steve Jones
This month is a milestone for T-SQL Tuesday. It’s number 200, which doesn’t sound...
Reflections on the Life of a DBA
The DBA life is fraught with pain. Those battles that we endure are mostly...
Forums
A Quick Second Opinion
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Five Intelligent Query Processing Features in SQL Server 2022 That Quietly Tune Your Workload
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Five Intelligent Query Processing Features...
Checking the Error Log I
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Checking the Error Log I
Question of the Day
Checking the Error Log I
On my SQL Server 2025, I want to search the error log from my T-SQL code for potential issues and then inform an administrator. What is the current way to easily query the error log?
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