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The SQL Server Best Practices Analyzer (BPA) came out for SQL Server 2008 R2 recently , and I’ve been asked what the difference is between the BPA and Policy Based Management (PBM) that was introduced in SQL Server 2008. While it’s true both of these tools can do similar things, each has...

I like it when *other* people review Microsoft software. I still volunteer as a DBA, so I still use multiple versions of our own products (and comptetitors, by the way) in the "real world". That's how I normally present, that's how I teach at the University of Washington, and how I work with my Microsoft...

There has been a lot of buzz lately about "the cloud" and what it means for IT, and the organizations they serve. I just finished watching Steve Ballmer deliver Microsoft's vision for the cloud , wondering if it would be different than the offerings of other firms. It feels like it is different....

In my last posting I spoke about changing databases. In this posting I want to jump into a little more detail on some things to improve the success of your migration project. I’ll spare you the lecture on planning – but remember the best way to improve the success of any migration project is ensure you...

Most data professionals are familiar with the term "planned downtime" and "unplanned downtime". The first is painful to ask for, and the second is painful to explain. We strive not to have either. SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2 have introduced features, such as better recovery from corrupt...

In a recent episode of The Big Bang Theory , Sheldon was excited to spend the evening reinstalling the OS and apps on his laptop. My wife asked me if I would find that fun. I had to admit that it wouldn’t suck but there were a number of other things that I’d rather do. Last week I reviewed a soon to...

I've been watching with interest the reactions to the new Microsoft/HP alliance that was announced here this week. Being an old-timer DBA, I rarely implement the latest technology, jump on the new bandwagon or react to the latest news quickly. I try to think about what I'm hearing, digest it a little...