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[Focus]

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Smart Data Validation
Regardless of the size and speed of your database, if you can’t trust your data, it’s useless. Learn how you can use some basic database best practices to set up your database and processing environment to enforce validation automatically.
 — Brian Lawton

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[Features]

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Build a Simple ETL System with SSIS
How do you use SSIS to build an ETL system to populate a data warehouse? Here's your primer on basic package design and construction.
 — Joy Mundy , et al.


Take Control of Your Reports with ReportViewer
If you need more report functionality than SSRS can offer, Visual Studio 2005's ReportViewer control might be just what you need.
 — Brian Larson

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[Editorial]

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BI Drives SQL Server Growth
The release of SQL Server 2005, with its advanced BI functionality, increased SQL Server's market share compared to top competitors, ensuring future support of the product.
 — Michael Otey

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[Reader to Reader]

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Prove That the Database Isn't to Blame
If you've ever had users call to tell you that a SQL Server database is slow, you'll likely find sp_Now a handy tool. This stored procedure determines what processes are currently executing and consuming resources on a database server.
 — Bill McEvoy

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[Inside SQL Server]

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Why Learn About Internals?
The more you know about SQL Server's inner workings, the better-equipped you'll be to troubleshoot problems and administer your databases efficiently.
 — Kalen Delaney

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[T-SQL Black Belt]

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Matching Current and Preceding Rows, Revisited
In this follow-up article, SQL Server 2005’s new APPLY operator and ROW_NUMBER function rev up solutions to a classic T-SQL problem.
 — Itzik Ben-Gan

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[Letters]

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Letters to the Editor
Readers contribute thoughts on storing session state and whether there's a downside to SATA.
 — Readers , et al.

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[New Products]

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New Products, October 2006
Check out new and improved SQL Server-related products.
 — Blake Eno

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[SELECT TOP(X)]

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SQL Server Everywhere
Check out these FAQs about the newest SQL Server database, a small-scale edition for mobile and desktop applications called SQL Server 2005 Everywhere Edition.
 — Michael Otey

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[From the Casebook of B.I. Powers, Consulting Detective ...]

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The Case of Locating National's Treasures
A mysterious email message leads B.I. Powers to track down codes on National Manufacturing's reports and teach them how to use meaningful names.
 — Brian Larson

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[Vendor Briefs]

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Vendor Briefs, October 2006
Our editors share insights from their conversations with Imperva, SPI Dynamics, and Lumigent.
 — Editors

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[Review]

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When SQL Server Tool Vendors Compete, DBAs Win
Two data recovery solutions—Lumigent Technologies' Log Explorer and Red Gate Software's SQL Log Rescue—help you to isolate user errors, undo mistakes, and replay subsequent transactions after user accidents, but one costs nearly ten times more.
 — Michael K. Campbell