Thanks for the info Kevin. I was unaware that filtered indexes behaved like that. I've done some research and learnt something new today.

From my perspective, the filtered index means you do not need to change your source code to get a performance increase. i.e. if you have a dozen bits of badly...

Thanks you for your most interesting (and concise) post. When I created a filtered index (AString IS NOT NULL) I got results very similar to the CTE. (Logical Reads =...

Here is an outline of a simple method which does not require Excel to be installed:

1. Copy a blank worksheet on to your SQL Server called YourTemplateWorksheet.XLSX

2. EXEC xp_cmdshell 'COPY...

You are right to question the use of SSIS - it's often overused and used incorrectly IMHO.

However, basically, if it is working, don't mess with it unless you can do...

You see the question mark where? in an app? in SSMS? Use the UNICODE function to inspect the actual numeric value.

SELECT UNICODE(LEFT(YourField,1)) FROM TABLE

I think the ASCI code for...

Whats the absolutely worst thing that could happen to your databases? What phone call would make your heart drop? OK now manage that risk by putting into place processes to...

So in summary woould you say that load performance was improved by a large reduction of records in the target fact table, or by the addition of indexes?

Well put, Phil. I've been getting 'Big Data' emails in my inbox for years and not one of these emails actually had any real practical content in them.

Find out which database this file is used by:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6061510/any-way-to-quickly-tell-which-database-if-any-is-attached-to-a-mdf-file

Now you have a database name / id to start checking against.

ORA-12154: TNS:could not resolve the connect identifier specified

Means you have not established basic client connectivity (as mentioned) before trying to create your linked server.

You'll need to do some Oracle research...

Why don't you change the tone of the question from 'how do I get SQL 2000 to install' to "how do I get my game to work on SQL 2008"

You...

I'm always very wary of 'strategists'. Most 'strategists' I've dealt with (about 2.5 in total) are only good at one thing and that's generating enough FUD to keep themselves in...

In my past experience (admittedly with an old AS/400 version and a dysfunctional IT team), the only reliable way to get data out of an AS400 was to use one...

Seriously - go with Sam's suggestion of windows authentication and forget about all these convoluted solutions requiring special passwords to be hard coded all over the place. You have an...