Quickly Moving Databases
This article by Chris Kempster shows you how to quickly move a database by detaching or taking a database offline.
2008-02-08 (first published: 2004-05-18)
148,426 reads
Chris Kempster
- Interests: Mt Biking, playing with my young kids, and IT
Data Migration : Step by Step
This article by Chris Kempster covers a wide variety of areas concerned with data migration. Primarily, it focuses on process, standards and some of the many issues to consider when undertaking this role.
2005-11-25 (first published: 2004-03-24)
57,005 reads
SQL Server Security Part 2
In part one Chris Kempster covered a variety of security recommendations primarily for production systems. In Part two of this series he continues to explore security at a variety of levels where you may not realize you are vulnerable.
2005-11-04 (first published: 2004-01-30)
35,518 reads
SQL Server Security Part 1
In this series of articles, Chris Kempster will discuss some of the finer aspects of SQL Server security and also touch on OS, physical and application security to open up this science for general discussion.
2005-02-11 (first published: 2002-01-14)
50,698 reads
Debugging MSDTC Issues
For the most part the DTC (Distributed Transaction Coordinator) just works. What happens when it doesn't? Chris had to resolve an issue with it recently and documented some of the steps he used.
2004-01-19
19,970 reads
Sending Alerts Via a Custom SMTP procedure
SQL Mail comes with SQL, but you have to load Outlook to use it. The alternative is to send email directly via SMTP. Combine that idea with alerts and you've got a new article!
2004-01-13
14,465 reads
Full Text Indexing - Text Parsing Routine
Full text indexing is interesting, but not always easy for the user to apply well. Chris has some ideas about to make that
2003-12-11
12,253 reads
What is Denormalization?
Chris Kempster brings us a basic look at the database design topic of denormalization.
2003-12-01
17,883 reads
Custom Log Shipping
One of our favorite authors is back with a great how-to on log shipping. This isn't the baked in log shipping, this is a code your own solution that gives you a starting point for your situation. Even if you don't need it now, it's worth looking at to gain a better understanding of how shipping works.
2003-11-26
26,272 reads
Review of AdeptSQL
Another product review! Chris put AdeptSQL (a schema comparison and sync product) to work and wrote up the results. This article also includes some feedback from the vendor that is worth reading.
2003-11-03
5,241 reads
Blogs
Announcements from the Microsoft Fabric Community Conference — Barcelona 2026
By James Serra
Microsoft shared a broad set of Fabric, Power BI, and SQL updates at FabCon...
Au Revoir for now
By Steve Jones
No, I’m not quitting or retiring. Just going on vacation, but I leave tonight...
Forums
Let's Talk Certifications
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Let's Talk Certifications, which is...
The Hidden Security Risks of Role Combination in SSAS Tabular
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Hidden Security Risks of...
The Empty Aggregate
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Empty Aggregate
Question of the Day
The Empty Aggregate
I have this table in a SQL Server 2025 database:
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[CustomerOrder] ( [OrderID] [int] NULL, [CustomerID] [int] NULL, [total] [money] NULL ) ON [PRIMARY] GOWhat is returned from this code? (answers are for the sum and then the count)
SELECT SUM(total) AS sum,
COUNT(total) AS count
FROM dbo.CustomerOrder;
See possible answers