SQLServerCentral Article

Controlling Unusually Long Running Jobs

The SQLAgent scheduler in SQL Server 2000 is an amazing tool that allows you to schedule many different kinds of jobs with a great deal of flexibility. However, it doesn't have great facilities for handling jobs that may take longer than expected. And about which you'd like to be notified. Leo Peysakhovich brings us his code and technique for detecting when a job step runs long.

External Article

Why bother with backup?

Backing up SQL Server data is like many of the things we do because we figure we need to. It is good for you, like eating a good diet and getting exercise. Unfortunately, folks are often about as successful with SQL Server backups as they are with diet and exercise.

This is the first in a series of articles covering SQL Server database backup. The series starts from the very basics of why database backup is important. The question of why to backup a database can inform many other decisions.

External Article

How to Check the Status of a File Before Processing

SQL Server Database administrators often copy(refer Fig 1.0) huge files, such as Full backup files and transaction log backup files from production to QA or from production to development environment and so on. Sometimes they need to copy source data files for importing. If they want to restore those Full backups or transaction log backup files or import those huge source files, they have to wait until the copy is complete.

SQLServerCentral Article

Steel City SQL

If you're in the Birmingham area, a new SQL Server users group, affiliated with PASS is forming. User groups are a great way to meet people and do some networking in your area. The first meeting is later this month, so if you can, drop by.

SQLServerCentral Article

Migrating Database Objects

Not a fun task, although SQL Server 2000 makes the job easier than a few other platforms. Still it's work and it starts to encroach on Jeffrey Yao's two DBA laws having to do with fun at work. Read about his laws and see if you agree and follow along on a real world adventure in migrating hundreds of database objects to a new database.

Blogs

The Book of Redgate: Spread across the world

By

This was Redgate in 2010, spread across the globe. First the EU/US Here’s Asia...

Merry Christmas

By

Today is Christmas and while I do not expect anybody to actual be reading...

Self-Hosting a Photo Server the Whole Family Can Use

By

Until recently, my family's 90,000+ photos have been hidden away in the depths of...

Read the latest Blogs

Forums

SQL Server 2025 Backup Compression Algorithm

By Johan Bijnens

Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Server 2025 Backup Compression...

The Large Encoded Value

By Steve Jones - SSC Editor

Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Large Encoded Value

The Side Job

By Steve Jones - SSC Editor

Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Side Job

Visit the forum

Question of the Day

The Large Encoded Value

I want to use the new BASE64_ENCODE() function in SQL Server 2025, but return a string that isn't large type. What is the longest varbinary string I can pass in and still get a varchar(8000) returned?

See possible answers