SQL Server

External Article

Still More SQL Server Features that Time Forgot

  • Article

As the final entry in this series, Robert Sheldon leads you through a group of forgotten features that have been removed from recent versions of SQL Server. In some cases, the features were widely used and often loved, while others had lost their usefulness over the years or were replaced with something much better. In this article, he remembers Data Transformation Services (DTS), a handful of DBCC commands, a few utilities, Active Directory Helper Service, English Query, Web Assistant, SQL Mail, Native XML Web Services, Notification Services, SQL Distributed Management Objects, Surface Area Configuration Tool, and the Pubs and Northwind databases.

2017-12-20

3,745 reads

External Article

Even More SQL Server Features that Time Forgot

  • Article

SQL Server works well, and Microsoft does everything it can to keep it relevant and competitive: As with everything in real life, it doesn't don't always get it completely right, and Rob Sheldon continues his quest through the jungle of past features to rediscover and explore the ones that time forgot. Here, he comes across Lightweight Pooling, XML Indexes, Stretch Databases, SQL Variants, Transaction Savepoints and In-Memory OLTP.

2017-12-01

5,018 reads

External Article

More SQL Server Features that Time Forgot

  • Article

SQL Server produces some great features, but it would be impossible to get them spot-on target every time. We are now quietly advised to use caution about using some of them, such as AutoShrink or the Index Advisor. Others, like the database diagramming tool, almost seem to have been quietly abandoned. Robert Sheldon investigates.

2017-11-21

4,678 reads

External Article

The SQL Server Features that Time Forgot

  • Article

Every new release of SQL Server comes with new features that cause a ripple of excitement within the industry: well, amongst the marketing people anyway. What happens to all the exciting TLAs that are bandied about when a new version launches? It's mixed, it seems. Adam Machanic's classic post, The SQL Hall of Shame, has inspired Rob Sheldon to look back at some of the features that, though worthy, have may have failed to hit the mainstream.

2017-10-27

5,970 reads

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Running Steve's Code

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Question of the Day

Running Steve's Code

Can you run this code in any of your SQL Server 2019 databases without error? 

CREATE OR ALTER PROCEDURE [dbo].[StevesAmazingProc]
AS
    
        SELECT Consumer_ID ,
               Trend_Category ,
               Bit_Trace
        FROM    NewWorldDB.dbo.MarketTrend;
    
GO

See possible answers