FILESTREAM Data Type
The new FILESTREAM data type in SQL Server 2008 offers a new way of storing unstructured data (images, documents, video, etc.). Up until now the two standard ways to store such data have been either in the database as BLOB objects or as files outside of the database. FILESTREAM provides the best of both worlds, […]
New Date and Time Data Types
SQL Server 2008 introduces enhancements to the existing date and time data types. The most important changes are the addition of separate DATE and TIME data types. The DATETIME2 data type adds more precision to the existing DATETIME data type, and DATETIMEOFFSET provides support for time zones. Here is a list of the new data […]
Hierarchies in SQL Server 2008
Graphs, tree algorithms and structures have been used for long time in databases to solve hierarchy related problems. Adjacency list, nested sets, materialized path, and other hybrid methods offer different capabilities to help. SQL Server 2008 adds a new feature to help with modeling hierarchical relationships: the HIERARCHYID data type. It provides compact storage and […]
Sparse Columns
Sparse columns are another addition to the SQL Server 2008 tool belt. They offer a good trade-off for many applications: taking no space if they are empty and more space if they have data. In other words they optimize storage for NULL values. Sparse columns are just like ordinary columns with a few limitations. They […]
Passing DataSet to a WCF Method
Recently I’ve made a simple WCF service that had a method that takes a MemoryStream parameter. After some time I had to add another method that should take a whole DataSet as parameter. And then my problems begun! After I’ve added the method and refreshed the service reference of my client the proxy class generator […]
SQL Saturday
SQL Saturday is a free event for SQL Server professionals. It offers multiple tracks with sessions for different skill levels. It is a great way to learn, share knowledge, and network with colleagues in the SQL Server field. The upcoming SQL Saturday #3 in Jacksonville (May 3rd, 2008) includes four complete tracks for developers, DBAs, […]