In SQL Server 2005, Microsoft introduced the Upgrade Advisor. This was a great idea to be able to analyze your current SQL Server in a safe environment and start the planning process of an important ...

Russell Smith is a technology consultant and trainer specializing in management and security of Microsoft server and client technologies. He is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer with more than 15 ...

Many considerations go into evaluating whether it is time to implement an upgrade to a new version of SQL Server. You need to think about socket vs. core licensing ...

Brien M. Posey is a freelance technical writer who has contributed to dozens of books and is a six-time Microsoft MVP award winner. Many IT professionals live by the maxim that if something isn’t ...

There’s a very handy new tool from Microsoft called the Database Experimentation Assistant (DEA). The DEA makes it very easy to conduct A/B testing for SQL Server upgrades, providing quantitative ...

SQL Server backups cannot be restored to older versions directly. Use Export and Import Data-Tier Application for cross-version database migration. Reconfigure permissions, logins, and connection ...

Mike Chapple is associate teaching professor of IT, analytics and operations at the University of Notre Dame. Almost every agency business function relies on at least one database. These range from ...