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[Focus]

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Implementing Microsoft's BI Platform
Premier Bankcard’s BI Director, Ron Van Zanten, shares his experience deploying Microsoft’s SQL Server 2005 BI platform--how long it took to get the data warehouse up and running and the challenges faced during implementation.
 — Megan Keller

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[Features]

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Desperately Seeking Samples
Educate yourself on the design and operation concepts for databases and data warehouses by taking advantage of Microsoft’s sample databases. Although the business scenarios are fictitious, they translate to real-world uses.
 — Michelle A. Poolet


Plugging the Gaps in SQL Server Job Tracking
Find missing SQL Server jobs and scheduling conflicts by using two scripts that supplement SQL Server Agent job tracking.
 — Omri Bahat


T-SQL 101: Views
The virtual nature of a view is its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. Here's what you need to know to create views and use them wisely.
 — Bill McEvoy

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[Editorial]

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Demystifying SQL Server Virtualization
Michael Otey dispels some myths surrounding SQL Server virtualization, including the notion that all virtualization platforms are created equal. He explains the high-level differences between the hosted, hypervisor, and virtualized OS platforms.
 — Michael Otey

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[Solutions by Design]

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Data Warehouse Workloads and Use Cases
Determine the type of data warehouse you have and the workloads it uses so that you can then optimize its performance.
 — Michelle A. Poolet

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[T-SQL Black Belt]

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Discover the Benefits of Filtered Indexes and Statistics
Learn how you can take advantage of SQL Server 2008’s filtered indexes and statistics feature to improve query performance and obtain detailed and accurate distribution statistics.
 — Itzik Ben-Gan

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[New Products]

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New Products
Check out new and improved SQL Server-related products from SQL Sentry, Quest Software, Sentrigo, and AMB.
 — Editors

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[Review]

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DTS xChange
Pragmatic Works' DTS xChange converts DTS packages to native SSIS packages for use with SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2005.
 — John Green

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[Buyer's Guide]

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Database Encryption Solutions
Database encryption can protect your data from internal and external attacks. When choosing a solution, consider who you are protecting data for and who you are protecting it from, along with any compliance regulations.
 — Caroline Marwitz