---

[Focus]

---

Essential Aspects of Database Design
What's important to consider in designing a database? For optimal performance, you need to be mindful about three interrelated factors: indexing, maintenance, and statistics. Here's some advice to get you started in the planning process.
 — Kimberly L. Tripp

---

[Features]

---

Native XML Web Services in SQL Server 2005
The Native XML Web Services feature in SQL Server 2005 removes dependency on IIS to help you create robust, feature-rich enterprise database solutions. Here’s how the feature works, how to implement it, and how to code client applications.
 — Roman Rehak


Optimizing a Suboptimal Query Plan
Occasionally, the SQL Server optimizer chooses a plan that isn't the most efficient one possible. Itzik shows how he figured out how to produce the lowest-cost plan for a particular type of query.
 — Itzik Ben-Gan


Reporting Services Tips and Tricks
Create better reports faster by using templates, custom assemblies, and these layout and performance tips.
 — Andrew Potter


SQL Server 2005 Schema Scripting
Looking for a way to script database schema without buying a third-party tool? Here’s a Windows console-mode utility that uses SMO to script tables, stored procedures, views, user-defined functions (UDFs), and other schema objects within your databases.
 — John Jakob

---

[Editorial]

---

Easy Does It
SQL Server started out a couple of steps behind other database platforms, but with new and future releases focused on change management and end-to-end business insight, Microsoft plans to finish ahead of the competition.
 — Michael Otey

---

[Reader to Reader]

---

SELECT vs. SET: Optimizing Loops
If you discover a loop in a stored procedure, you might find that the code iterates thousands of times before the loop exits. One way to improve the performance of loops is to optimize variable handling.
 — Readers

---

[Inside SQL Server]

---

Subtle Changes You Might Have Missed
Some SQL Server behaviors change in subtle ways from version to version. Learn about three such changes that might surprise you.
 — Kalen Delaney

---

[Letters]

---

Letters to the Editor

 — Editors

---

[New Products]

---

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

---

[SELECT TOP(X)]

---

SQL Server 2005 Replication
SQL Server 2005 offers various types of data replication depending on your data replication needs.
 — Michael Otey

---

[Tool Time with Kevin Kline]

---

SQLIOSim
With SQL Server 2005, it can be tough to create a stress test that actually stresses your system. Here’s a tool that can generate a load sufficient to overwork almost any system.
 — Kevin Kline

---

[Review]

---

Spotlight on SQL Server 5.7
Spotlight on SQL Server lets you see real-time SQL Server activity, making it easy for you to monitor the performance of your databases.
 — Michael K. Campbell

---

[SQL Server Product Review]

---

Altova DatabaseSpy 2007
Check out DatabaseSpy if you routinely work in different database environments and need a multidatabase design and management tool.
 — Michael Cassens

---

[Industry Briefings]

---

Industry Briefings
Our editors share insights from their conversations with InterSystems Corporation, GridApp Systems, and Network Appliance.
 — Editors

---

[PTO for the Rest of Us]

---

Clown Cramming
Is your I/O subsystem not properly equipped to handle the workload you're placing on it? Adding a faster system probably won't magically solve the problem. You need to change your thinking process.
 — Brian Moran