SQLWebpedia

If you are new to SQL Server 2005, I have composed over time many links of interest to get you started. Just the basic introduction items will be here as most of this site includes detailed information on SQL 2005.

You can rename a stand alone SQL Server name and it is best covered in this MSDN article: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143799.aspx  You can also rename a virtual cluster name, but not the instance name as that requires a reinstall: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms178083.aspx

Often in code you need to determine which version of SQL you are running against in a multi version environment. The ServerProperty function can help with this.

SELECT  SERVERPROPERTY('productversion'), SERVERPROPERTY ('productlevel'), SERVERPROPERTY ('edition')

Since many of us write sql code for websites, I thought I would share this performance tip I found while improving a proc to get list with start and end positions using row numbers - what I am calling pagination. 

Februrary 28th 2008 is official launch date.

Microsoft has a free utility that can read log (text) files in real-time, it's called SMS Trace. 

Experiencing poor networking performance on Windows 2003 server with SP1 or SP2 installed? Can't make sql connections to some servers? RDP doesn't work? RPC communication failure messages? But permissions are totally fine. Read on to learn more.

1. Backup your ReportServer database.
2. Backup your encryption key on existing installation with the Reporting Services Configuration Manager tool found in the SQL Server 2005 | Configuration Tools folder under Windows Start Menu. Place it in a specific location, otherwise you will have to search for default save location. 

The SQLCAT team has some great guidance on storage configuration for SQL server: http://sqlcat.com/top10lists/archive/2007/11/21/storage-top-10-best-practices.aspx

Summary