A checkpoint is the process that transfers database pages from the buffer pool to the disk files. It happens whenever the buffer pool is so full of dirty pages that...

According to Books Online and Inside SQL Server 2000, the Transaction Log is treated as a single large logical file. This is divided into a sequence of Virtual Log Files (VLFs),...

Restore and recovery are two distinct operations. Here's an explanation.

During normal operations, any database (SQL Server, Oracle, DB/2,...) will have multiple concurrent users working and making changes to the database. In...

Definitely not.

The point of the MinLSN is to handle large and long transactions. There may be many checkpoints that occur during these operations. There may also be checkpoints that occur...

Also, the utility you're using has a connection open with SQL Server to a specific database (your default database if not otherwise specified). This can be enough to block SQL Server...

I've done a fair amount of browsing around the web and books on the subject of "architect" within IT. Basically, there are so many different definitions and interpretations that the term is...

I forget where I heard about this, and don't know if it applies to LCD or plasma displays:

The way a CRT produces an image with phosphors on the inside of...

Here are a couple more:

I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was going to blame you.

I can't believe I padded my resume for this...

How does Marth Stewart...

Don't teach a pig to whistle. Its a waste of your time, and annoys the pig.

If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what does an empty...

Some "brain cramps" can only be cured by a suitably embarrassing audience.

Best reason I know for always being polite about these things...

A useful metaphor is a pilot's license; treating certifications like MCDBA, J2EE, UML, etc. in the same way makes a lot of sense. You get you basic pilot's license when...

FYI. This won't help much for dates in "mmddyyyy" format, but for dates in "yyyymmdd" format its faster and easier to use the CONVERT function. This has an optional third...

Case Sensitivity of SQL Server names -- This depends on the character sort order for the database. The default is a "dictionary" sort order which ignores case. You can see...

Some good comments. Here are mine. (your_value = Free_Advice * my_2_cents)

Table Name - singular or plural: Singular is commonly used, because the (real-world) entity is singular;...