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[Focus]

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How Much Cash Are You Raking In?
We like to know whether we're being compensated fairly, but how can you tell? Our annual salary survey reveals what your peers are making and correlates it with industry, region, certification, and gender.
 — Jason Bovberg


It's What You Make IT
This year’s survey respondents reveal what makes database pros happy, what challenges they face, and how they see IT roles changing.
 — Dawn Cyr


SQL Server Pros Stay the Course
Our second annual salary survey shows you the face of the typical database professional.
 — Diana May

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[Features]

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Reporting for Duty
Learn about long-awaited SQL Server Reporting Services, and download a demo application that shows how to easily integrate report management, viewing, and rendering into your applications.
 — Roman Rehak

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[SQL Server Savvy]

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SANs: Always Better Than DAS?
Don’t assume that using a SAN is always the best course. Find out how using DAS is often an easier and more cost-effective solution.
 — Brian Moran

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[Editorial]

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Battle of the Benchmarks
SQL Server 2005 makes a good showing in its first round of TPC-C testing.
 — Michael Otey

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[Inside SQL Server]

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Piecing Together Fragmentation
SQL Server’s dynamic new sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats() function can give you information about any SQL Server 2005 object that needs physical storage. Find out how you can use this rich resource.
 — Kalen Delaney

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[Solutions by Design]

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Solutions by Design: Data Modeling 2005
SQL Server 2005 won't change things much for data modelers, but make sure your CASE software supports the new database version's new features.
 — Michelle A. Poolet

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[T-SQL Black Belt]

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Should I Use IDENTITY or Not?
Sometimes, using SQL Server's auto-numbering mechanism makes sense; in other cases, an independent sequencing mechanism is better. Learn limitations of and alternatives to IDENTITY.
 — Itzik Ben-Gan

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[New Products]

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New Products, December 2005
Check out new and improved SQL Server–related products.
 — Dawn Cyr

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[SELECT TOP(X)]

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MSDN Code Samples
Sharing code is one of the most common productivity techniques for developers, and MSDN has some great places to grab code bits for your programs.
 — Michael Otey

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[Preparing for SQL Server 2005]

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Something for (Almost) Nothing
With SQL Server 2005, some of the coolest features are available immediately, with little or no effort from you!
 — Matt Nunn

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[T-SQL 2005]

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Can I Convert This String to an Integer?
Itzik shows you T-SQL and CLR methods for checking whether a given string can be converted to an integer--handy additions to T-SQL's data-manipulation capabilities.
 — Itzik Ben-Gan

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[Ask Microsoft]

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Rotating a SQL Server Table
Microsoft's Patrick Conlan offers two ways to rotate a table in SQL Server.
 — Microsoft's SQL Server Development Team


Using T-SQL to Check Database Memory
Microsoft’s Gert Drapers shows how to use T-SQL to check a database’s memory usage.
 — Microsoft's SQL Server Development Team

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[Hands On]

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Simple Audit Solution Provides Tight Security
A reader highlights his favorite product: Audit DB.
 — Dawn Cyr