Welcome to our blog post where we will be discussing various concepts and ideas related to SQL Server. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced developer, this article will provide you with valuable insights into the world of SQL Server.
1. Service Broker
Service Broker is a powerful message-queuing technology in SQL Server that allows developers to integrate SQL Server fully into distributed applications. It enables asynchronous, transactional messaging between databases, allowing applications to continue functioning even if the remote database is temporarily unavailable.
2. Policy Management
Policy Management in SQL Server 2008 is a feature that allows you to define and enforce policies for configuring and managing SQL Server across the enterprise. With Policy-Based Management, you can easily navigate through the Object Explorer in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to configure policies, conditions, and facets.
3. Database Mirroring
Database mirroring is a technique used to provide availability for the publication database. It involves maintaining two copies of a single database on different computers. One copy, known as the principal database, is available to clients, while updates made to the principal database are applied to the mirror database. This ensures data redundancy and high availability.
4. Sparse Columns
Sparse columns are a useful tool for reducing the amount of physical storage used in a database. They are ordinary columns that have optimized storage for null values. By reducing the space requirements for null values, sparse columns can help optimize storage while still allowing efficient retrieval of non-null values.
5. TOP Operator
The TOP operator is used to specify the number of rows to be returned by a query. In SQL Server 2008, the TOP operator can accept variables as well as literal values and can be used with INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements. This provides flexibility in controlling the number of rows affected by these operations.
6. Common Table Expression (CTE)
A Common Table Expression (CTE) is a temporary result set that is defined within the execution of a single SQL statement. It is similar to a derived table but is not stored as an object and lasts only for the duration of the query. CTEs are useful for simplifying complex queries and improving query performance.
7. MERGE Statement
The MERGE statement is a powerful feature introduced in SQL Server that allows you to perform multiple DML (Data Manipulation Language) operations in a single statement. It combines the logic of INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE operations based on specified conditions. The MERGE statement improves efficiency by processing data only once.
8. Filtered Index
A Filtered Index is used to index a portion of rows in a table based on a specified filter condition. This improves query performance, reduces index maintenance costs, and reduces index storage costs compared to full-table indexes. Filtered indexes are created with a WHERE clause to define the filter condition.
9. New Data Types in SQL Server 2008
SQL Server 2008 introduced several new data types:
- The GEOMETRY and GEOGRAPHY types for representing spatial data.
- New date and time data types: DATE, TIME, DATETIMEOFFSET, and DATETIME2. These provide more flexibility and precision in storing and manipulating date and time values.
We hope this article has provided you with a deeper understanding of various SQL Server concepts and ideas. Stay tuned for more informative blog posts in our Interview Questions and Answers Series.