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SQLServerCentral.com brings you a variety of articles on all aspects of SQL Server from administration to XML and everything in between. Our articles are written by real DBAs and developers, based on the articles and scripts they use in their daily

A Distribution Statistics object is a sampled map of the distribution of data in a table. Such statistics help the Query Optimizer of SQL Server's Database Engine to translate the 'logical' SQL Query into the best strategy for doing all the physica

Book Description The goal of Defensive Programming is to produce resilient code that responds gracefully to the unexpected. </p<

To the SQL Server programmer, this means T-SQL code that behaves consistently and predictably in cases of unexp

This book shows how to use of mixture of home-grown scripts, native SQL Server tools, and tools from the Red Gate SQL Toolbelt, to successfully develop database applications in a team environment, and make database development as similar as possibl

This book is for anyone who has an interest in SQL Server 2008 R2 and wants to understand its capabilities. In a book of this size, we cannot cover every feature that distinguishes SQL Server from other databases, and consequently we assume that yo

This book is designed to provide the fundamental knowledge and resources you need to make intelligent choices about optimal installation and configuration of SQL Server hardware, operating system and the SQL Server RDBMS. With what you learn in thi

Dynamic Management Views (DMVs) are a significant and valuable addition to the DBA's troubleshooting armory, laying bare previously unavailable information regarding the under-the-covers activity of your database sessions and transactions. Why, then,

Writing good TSQL code is not an easy task. Then you submit the code to the query optimizer and strange things happen. The one good view you have into what the optimizer decided to do is provided by the execution plans. Understanding execution plan

The SQL Server Query Optimizer is perceived by many to be a magic black box, transforming SQL queries into high performance execution plans in the blink of an eye through some unknowable process. The truth is that, while the Query Optimizer is indeed

This book shows you how to set-up a reliable, tested, SQL Server backup and restore plan. Get tips for recovering your data with minimum downtime. Learn how to minimize data loss when disaster strikes. The tool of choice in this book for backup autom