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[Focus]

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What Makes YOU an Expert?
Our annual salary survey respondents tell us how they acquire the knowledge that sets them apart from the average DBA. We also highlight how your salary stacks up with your peers for this year.
 — Dawn Cyr

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[Features]

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Cookies Crumbling?
Manage user Web sessions (and minimize security risks) without cookies, using SQL Server stored procedures, a GUID generator, and URL parameters.
 — Susan Perschke


Self-Service Subscriptions
Free yourself! Follow this five-step process for using Active Directory to implement secure, automated, user-managed Reporting Services subscriptions.
 — David Pruden

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[Inside SQL Server]

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Triggers and the Version Store
SQL Server 2005 optimizes the use of version-store data with triggers, but you'll need to watch tempdb's size when using triggers combined with snapshot isolation.
 — Kalen Delaney

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[T-SQL Black Belt]

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Enhancing PIVOT for Crosstab Queries
Table expressions and dynamic SQL are handy tricks for making SQL Server 2005's PIVOT operator more useful in crosstab queries.
 — Itzik Ben-Gan

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[New Products]

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New Products
Check out new and improved SQL Server-related products.
 — Blake Eno

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[Tool Time with Kevin Kline]

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Ascmd
This handy utility gives you the same kind of functionality that sqlcmd does—but for Analysis Services. Use it to perform such sticky tasks as automating the processing of partitions and dimensions from a third-party tool.
 — Kevin Kline

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[Exploring SQL Server 2005]

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Data You Can Rely On
This month Matt follows up his discussion on setting up baselines and creating a set of unit tests by explaining the steps for building a reliable set of data.
 — Matt Nunn

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[Review]

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ProClarity Analytics 6.2
This Analysis Services product is feature-rich enough for experienced business analysts yet easy for beginners to navigate.
 — John Green

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[Buyer's Guide]

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SQL Server Middleware

 — Sue Tibbetts

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[Industry Briefings]

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Industry Briefings
Our editors share insights from their conversations with Oracle and Business Objects.
 — Editors