Python is increasingly used by DBAs as a general-purpose scripting language, despite the pressure to adopt Microsoft's PowerShell. They find it easy to learn, powerful, and reasonably intuitive. This article explains the attraction of Python and gives a general introduction to the language, suitable for anyone who has been wondering whether to give it a try.

Alex Kozak discusses some general issues surrounding disk space requirements for SQL Server databases and shows how to estimate Disk space usage and requirements. He gives tips on using DBCC CHECKDB consistency check and for estimating the space required for replication

This article provides good straightforward advice to ensure that things go well when a database has to be restored from backups.

This white paper is an overview of the design of the SQL Server Modeling services repository database for supporting schema and data versioning.

Learn the reasons for using the Managed Extensibility Framework, and how convention-driven configuration can streamline the development process.

The most flexible way to bulk-load data into SQL Server is to use SSIS. It can also be the fastest, and scaleable way of doing so. There are three different components that can be used to do this, using SSIS, so which do you choose?

Why don't we emphasize the huge advantages of parameterized queries over ad-hoc queries in SQL Server? There is a severe impact on resources and performance from repeatedly using similar ad-hoc queries, instead of reusing the existing query plans. This article shows how you can measure this impact, and springs a surprise or two in the process

This article shows you the new face of SQL Data Services, explores its architecture, and shows how it is truly an extension of SQL Server in the cloud.

This article walks you through the steps necessary to create an XML configuration file for SQL Server.

Learn how to improve the performance of your SQL Server database and understand when the recompilation of queries is necessary and when it is not. Understanding query compilation issues from an operational perspective requires intimate familiarity with two indispensable tools: Performance Monitor and SQL Profiler.