SQL Server 2005 Beta 2 Gets Close
Microsoft began taking sign ups for participation in the SQL Server 2005 Beta 2 program this week at its Microsoft TechEd show here as the long-awaited test version of the product gets close to availability.
Database Tools for SQL Database Editing Released
Apex SQL Tools has released Apex SQL Edit 3.0, database Tools for database editing. Apex SQL Edit is an integrated development environment (IDE) for SQL Server including powerful editing capabilities, deployment capabilities, full integration with Visual Source safe as well as SQL Server Reporting services and much more.
Microsoft to Step Up Server Product Release Schedule
Microsoft Corp. is planning to deliver updates to its Exchange Server product every two years and is considering a similar move to deliver SQL Server updates in a more timely manner, company officials said at the TechEd 2004 conference.
Change Management in Your Database
SQL Server has no change management integrated with the native tools. This means that each person must develop their own method of handling changes, or live with the chaos that will inevitably ensue. There are a number of articles written about various ways to handle change management and Dinesh Asanka shares his here. Read on and see if this helps you get a handle on changes in your environment.
Replication Gotcha - Columns with Defaults
Some days the simplest things go wrong. On this particular day Andy tried to remove a column that was part of an article in a transactional publication, wound up in an inconsistent state that required a snapshot to fix. Deeper investigation reveals the cause and a work around.
Every DBA Should Know Which Databases are be Backed Up
Do you know which of your databases are being backed up? Everyone answers "Yes", but I'm sure that there are times that someone creates a new database and you don't know about it. I know in my job, with hundreds of servers, it happens. Here's a technique for keeping track of those databases from Leo Peysakhovich.
Don't Get Left Behind
Production DBAs may be a dying breed. At least according to some sources. While we're not sure that we agree with that, there is definitely a trend that should have you working on your career. The day of the DBA that only manages the operational data store is waning. Today's DBAs need to be flexible and have a number of other skills. Brian Knight looks at a few of the skills that you might to add to your arsenal to be prepared for the future of SQL Server.
Quest Central For SQL Server (Freeware)
Quest Central® for SQL Server is an integrated database management solution designed to enable administrators to manage complex database environments and simplify everyday tasks. Quest Central for SQL Server provides DBAs with a set of tools to achieve higher levels of availability and reliability, leverage and extend native SQL Server administration capabilities, and adds multi-server and change management capabilities to make database management easier.
Creating a System Stored Procedure
Creating a system stored procedure isn't hard. You're always cautioned from making changes to the system, depending on the system for a particular functionality, etc., and you should be cautious. However adding system stored procedures to your servers can be beneficial and make your administration much more convenient. Read on the see how easy this can be to do.
When To Use the Order By Clause
The ORDER BY clause is one of the basic keywords that defines the SQL Language. And it can help prevent strange results from being returned to the average user. Read on to see how and why this addition to your queries can help ensure more "ordered" results 🙂
Blogs
Stupid Things I Did With AI: ASCII Art
By Steve Jones
I ran across this article recently (https://www.gatesnotes.com/meet-bill/source-code/reader/microsoft-original-source-code) and it has a great opening piece...
Simple Talks Podcasting in 2026
By Steve Jones
I’m in the UK today, having arrived this morning in London. Hopefully, by this...
SSMS 22 still inserting tabs instead of spaces
I’m not trying to start up a debate whether you should use tabs or...
Forums
Cumulative Update 23 - KB5074819 - Database Mail - No longer working.
Hi there, Has anyone else had any trouble with Database Mail in Cumulative Update...
Script Task execution error with HTTP request
I have a script task that tries to execute a HTTP request, which seems...
SQL Server 2025 Standard Developer Edition
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Server 2025 Standard Developer...
Question of the Day
URL Safe or Not?
If I use BASE4_ENCODE() in SQL Server 2025, is the output URL Safe by default?
See possible answers