Review of SQL Compare v3

Regular columnist Robert Marda had some extra time so we got him to take a look at the latest upgrade to SQL Compare - for those of you aren't familiar with it, it is a tool that will let you compare two databases to see the differences, then optionally sync one to the other.

Building a Demo Server

Everyone does demos. Selling software relies upon people viewing your software in action and being confident it will work. Managing a demo server can be a challenge and this series will look at different problems and options you have.

Sending Alerts Via a Custom SMTP procedure

SQL Mail comes with SQL, but you have to load Outlook to use it. The alternative is to send email directly via SMTP. Combine that idea with alerts and you've got a new article!

SQL Server Statistical Functions

I bet most of us count and sum fairly often, but how often do you use the rest of the 'in the box' statistical functions? Learn these now and be ready when you need them.

New 'Find Duplicates Wizard'

The Wizard enables anyone working with a SQL Server database to identify and review duplicate data with ease. It is an exceptionally powerful tool with the modest price tag of $397 (approximately £230).

The software has a wealth of processing options, which you can read about when visiting www.findduplicates.com or (in even more detail) in the free help file download which is also available on the web site.

RC4 Encryption in a Stored Procedure

Joseph gathered together some various bits of code and came up with a solution that lets you do RC4 encryption via the sp_oa~ procedures.

Alert! Alert! Backup and Restore Baby!

Are you using alerts to help you keep track of things? Are you using as many alerts as you should be? Jeremy has a great list of alerts that he considers so important they are on his 'best practice' list. Definitely worth reading.

Indexing Strategies

Ramesh writes about various indexing strategies that you might use to improve performance.

Using Bits to Store Data

David recently worked on a project where it turned out storing the answers to a survey using bitmapping was a good approach. He was good enough to write some of it down and share. As he notes bitmapping isn't used as often as it used to be, but it can still be a useful technique to have around.

Using xp_cmdshell

Haidong continues to point out ideas that might get you thinking about ways you can do more administration with less work. In this article he demonstrates a couple useful tasks you can do with xp_cmdshell.