One of the most common problems when running SQL Servers is slow queries. The help desk or database team usually hears that described as the application is slow or ...

SQL Server performance is slow. Users are complaining. Your boss wants to know what's going on and what you can do to improve SQL Server performance. Where do you start? Which SQL Server query should ...

Get the lowdown on SP-1's added features, including fully supported database mirroring, bug fixes, and add-ons for SQL Express. What's more, SP1 not only contains bug fixes, but also delivers ...

450793 – Import Wizard in SQL 2005 cannot import from text file that was exported from SQL 2000 The current UI enforces a maximum of 1000 sampled rows so there is no way for a customer to scan more ...

As I discussed in an earlier column, SQL Server keeps a plan cached for each query it sees (assuming the query requires planning in the first place, of course). That's great for speeding up processing ...

I have been testing SQL Server 2008 RC0 (Release Candidate Zero) that was made available recently and I must admit I am beginning to like it. Even the new logo is growing on me. There are many new ...

Dynamic SQL lets you create a query string based off of user input. SQL Server allows you to create dynamic SQL statements. The statements use a SQL string varchar data type, then you execute the ...

A common SQL habit is to use SELECT * on a query, because it’s tedious to list all the columns you need. Plus, sometimes those columns may change over time, so why not just do things the easy way? But ...

Microsoft has released a second free service pack -- a large, recommended update -- for its popular SQL Server 2005 database application. The update makes SQL Server 2005 compatible with Microsoft's ...

One of the most common problems when running SQL Servers is slow queries. The help desk or database team usually hears that described as the application is slow or ...