What's the best way to change the default backup directory for a server, using SSMS or Enterprise Manager, without changing all the default directories at the same time? What is the TSQL to do it? A prize for the best correct solution.
In the fourth installment of this series, Jacob Sebastian moves on to SQL Server 2005 and the new XML capabilities that make
working with XML data easier than ever.
Having been at the sharp end of many successful SQL Server solutions, I believe there are some fundamental principles that all successful SQL Server installations have in common. Whilst the challenges in delivering an enterprise-scale database-intensive application can be wide and varied, there are a few basic practises that will give you the best possible chance of success.
his white paper covers some of the operational and administrative tasks associated with SQL Server 2005 security and enumerates best practices and operational and administrative tasks that will result in a more secure SQL Server system.
In the previous articles, Jacob Sebastian looked at using XML to save a sales order with variable numbers of line items to a SQL Server
2000 database. In this part, he expands upon the processing to access that data from multiple nodes.
This article introduces some techniques that will allow you to pinpoint exactly where the performance issues are in your system, so you'll know exactly where to spend your time (and money) in solving them.
Dan Sullivan continues his exploration of the versatile PowerSMO tool with coverage of how to control logins, monitor server activity and create standalone administrative scripts.
One of the seeminly more popular enhancements in SQL Server 2005 to T-SQL is the PIVOT operator. There have been quite a few articles, but new author Peter Larsson decomposes in detail how you can perform this operation with previous versions.
I regularly use SQLIO.EXE to gauge the maximum throughput a disk subsystem can sustain. Recently Microsoft released SQLIOSIM.EXE to provide better results for this type of test. However they didn't release any documentation on the tool and I could never figure out what it was trying to tell me. It looks like they finally did release a Knowledge Base article on SQLIOSIM. Give it a spin. I'd be curious to hear what you think of the tool.
In part 2 of this series, Jacob Sebastion continues looking at XML in SQL Server 2000 with some advanced XML processing.
By Brian Kelley
Yesterday, July 27, 2026, Microsoft announced a new cybersecurity effort called Project Perception. Included...
By Steve Jones
If you’ve wanted a SQL Server MCP server for your databases, it’s available. The...
Introducing azsql-migration-test, a small open-source CLI that validates your Azure SQL Database migrations against...
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If I run this statement in SQL Server 2025, how is the password encrypted?
CREATE SYMMETRIC KEY MySymmetricKey WITH ALGORITHM = AES_256, KEY_SOURCE = 'My secret key source passphrase', IDENTITY_VALUE = 'My secret identity value' ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = 'S&perS#cretP@ssword7'; GOSee possible answers