SQL Server has long been criticised for not having an UPSERT command, well now in SQL 2005 we have some good news, we have two new TSQL set operators that give us the complex insert/update logic that constitute an UPSERT. These are INTERSECT and EXCEPT...

For sometime a group of Program Managers from the SQL BI team have been working with a customer, Barnes and Noble, to produce a SQL BI solution for their data warehouse and analysis needs using SQL 2005. The leasons learnt from all their work is being...

More and more ITPros are looking for help in deciding between 64 bit and 32 bit boxes, often they are looking for evidence that 64 bit is worth the investment and worth the risk (of adopting a new platform). This link http://www.microsoft.com/sql/64bit...

Jonathan Allen wrote to me asking what order one should upgrade servers in a replication topology - pointing out that this doesn't seem obviouis from Books On Line, which I agree. The answer is essentially the same as for any previous upgrade: Distributor...

Redmond mag .com have published an article 'Ten Useful Microsoft Blogs' @ http://www.redmondmag.com/columns/article.asp?EditorialsID=1044 Guess who's number 2? Also at number 10 is the UKs own Industry Insiders blog http://blogs.technet.com/industry...

Three new SQL Server 2000 blogcasts out of Redmond: Demo 4-1 Configuring System Monitor http://www.microsoft.com/winme/0506/24231/TNT1-160_Demo_4-1.asx Demo 4-2 Monitoring SQL Server performance http://www.microsoft.com/winme/0506/24231/TNT1-160_Demo_4...

Sudhi recently asked me how to call an aspx page from a report and pass a parameter held in a textbox, or other control. My solution is: Drag a textbox control on to the report and enter the value "2005/07/28/408325" (without the the quotes) in...

If you're in the UK and you'd like to get your hands on the 'Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Preview Software' then please visit: http://www.microsoft.com/uk/windowsserversystem/sql/2005/evaluate.aspx

when I was over in the US recently, I attended a 'Bill Baker and team unplugged' session, (Bill is the GM for SQL Server Business Intelligence). Reporting Services Report packs came up as a topic for discussion. The team asked the audience if the Report...

Sorry for the delay in getting these answers posted but my trip to the US and some hols have got in the way. I was asked if SQL Express could handle Extended Stored Procedures unlike msde. The answer is msde can handle XPs and so can SQL Express. However...

After all my messing around yesterday, I've decided to create this post in pocket word. I attended a securty session yesterday and was reminded of an issue that can send DBAs scuttling from the room when they learn of it's presence, the 'trojan report...

I've had a really hard time with my iPaq today. First thing this morning I couldn't get it to connect to anything. For ages I poked about - everything looked fine. Then eventually I found, in the asset viewer, that I had no IP address. I Poke about some...

I'm in Seattle this week at Microsoft's first TechReady conference. What's more I'm totally mobile; I didn't bring my laptop. Instead I'm relying on my iPaq with built in wireless and bluetooth.1 To help me type I'm trialing a software keyboard I downloaded...