Today we're launching a new type of articles at SQLServerCentral called the Stairway Series. These are groups of articles designed to get you up to speed in specific areas, helping you to "climb the staircase of knowledge" and assist you in becoming more proficient with SQL Server. These articles are written to assume a basic knowledge of how to work with SQL Server, but not necessarily any experience in the subject area.

Over the last year, we've published a few articles with this series in mind. We had the Stairway to Streaminsight, SSRS in a Flash, and the Stairway to Database Design published. We really liked the idea of expanding this series of articles , and we went in search of a talented editor to manage the project.

We were fortunate enough to find best selling SQL Server author, Kalen Delaney. Her Inside SQL Server series has been a staple in my library since v6.5, just as it has for many DBAs and developers all around the world. Kalen has been working over the last six months with some very talented writers to build a collection of article that cover a variety of SQL Server topics.

Our main Stairway page is live on the site, and contains a list of topics that we are covering, with each link containing a list of articles that you can use to expand your knowledge in that particular subject area. We have series on SQL Server Agent, Trace, and others that are still growing. We are also looking to commission new topics areas, so please feel free to send your suggestions in to the webmaster.

I hope that you enjoy these articles, and they help you become a better SQL Server professional. Let us know what you think, and what else you'd like to learn over the next year.

Steve Jones