SQL Server

About SQL Server

SQL Server, developed by Microsoft, stands as one of the industry's leading relational database management systems (RDBMS). Introduced in the late 1980s in partnership with Sybase, SQL Server has undergone significant transformations to become an integral solution for various businesses worldwide. With a primary function to store, retrieve, and manage large volumes of data, SQL Server integrates seamlessly with numerous applications, making it a prime choice for different enterprise requirements. Its features encompass advanced analytics, business intelligence, data warehousing, and robust transaction processing, ensuring data integrity and security.

FUNDAMENTALS

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What Is SQL Server?: Understanding SQL Server and its Different Editions

Last Update: Mar 12, 2024

SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBM) developed by Microsoft that competes with Oracle, IBM DB2, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and other RDBMs. In this article, I’ll explain in detail what SQL Server is and go through its release history over the past three decades. I’ll also detail what are the different SQL Server versions…

Datacenter networking servers

SQL Server Essentials: What Is a Relational Database?

SQL Server is a relational database. But what is a relational database exactly? Mike Otey, our resident SQL Server expert, explains in this article. What is a relational database? A relational database is a type of data storage mechanism that organizes data into tables where each table consists of rows and columns. It is typically…

Datacenter networking servers

What is SQL Server Reporting Services?

SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is a set of on-premises tools and services that enable you to create, deploy, and manage printed, web, email and mobile reports from SQL Server databases. Let’s look at its evolution and capabilities in more detail. When SQL Server was first released it was a simple relational database but as…

GETTING STARTED

Cloud Computing

SQL Server Essentials: Core SQL Server Data Types

In this article we’ll cover the essential SQL Server data types and discuss their common usage. Data is at the core of all relational database systems and SQL Server supports many different types of data and each data type represents a specific category of data. Each of the different data types have different uses and…

Cloud Computing

String Data Types in SQL Server: VARCHAR vs. CHAR

Last Update: Jan 15, 2025

Your database is made of data; data is defined by data types. Data types are so fundamental yet they’re often overlooked. In this article, Jennifer McCown answers a few of the most common questions on VARCHAR, CHAR and choosing string data types for your database.

TUTORIALS

Datacenter networking servers

SQL Server Essentials: Create a SQL Database

Last Update: Dec 20, 2023

Databases are the primary containers for your SQL Server relational database objects. Some of the main relational database objects that are contained in SQL Server databases include: tables, schema, indexes, views, logins, security and roles. You can create a SQL database plus there are a number of built-in SQL system databases including the master, model, msdb and tempdb databases. Technically, SQL Server supports a…

Datacenter networking servers

SQL Server – How to Add a Table Using SQL CREATE TABLE

Once you have created a user database, you can begin to create tables using the SQL CREATE TABLE statement. Databases typically have many different tables. If you haven’t yet created your first database in SQL Server, check out this article on Petri about how to create a SQL database using the SQL CREATE DATABASE statement. Tables are structures…

Datacenter networking servers

Master SQL Server: SQL Server Management Studio Tutorial

Last Update: Dec 03, 2024

In this SQL Server Management Studio tutorial (SSMS), I will show you the primary database management and development capabilities provided by the tool. Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is the primary management and development tool for SQL Server and has been since its release back with SQL Server 2000. SSMS provides a graphical interface…

LATEST

Datacenter networking servers

What is SQL Server Reporting Services?

SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is a set of on-premises tools and services that enable you to create, deploy, and manage printed, web, email and mobile reports from SQL Server databases. Let’s look at its evolution and capabilities in more detail. When SQL Server was first released it was a simple relational database but as…

Cloud Computing

SQL Server Essentials: Core SQL Server Data Types

In this article we’ll cover the essential SQL Server data types and discuss their common usage. Data is at the core of all relational database systems and SQL Server supports many different types of data and each data type represents a specific category of data. Each of the different data types have different uses and…

Programming-code

SQL Server Essentials: Using the SQL GROUP BY Clause

Last Update: Dec 03, 2024

SQL Server’s T-SQL query language has a plethora of data retrieval options. That includes the ability to query a SQL database, as well as providing a sum function, a count aggregate function, and grouping columns. The SQL GROUP BY clause can make use of all of these capabilities. In this article, I’ll show you how…

Datacenter networking servers

Master SQL Server: SQL Server Management Studio Tutorial

Last Update: Dec 03, 2024

In this SQL Server Management Studio tutorial (SSMS), I will show you the primary database management and development capabilities provided by the tool. Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is the primary management and development tool for SQL Server and has been since its release back with SQL Server 2000. SSMS provides a graphical interface…

Datacenter networking servers

Install SQL Server Reporting Services 2022

Last Update: Sep 30, 2024

In this article you’ll learn how to install SQL Server Reporting Services 2022 (SSRS) and configure it. It’s important to realize that you must have a previously installed instance of SQL Server running in order to install and use SSRS. Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, along with SQL…

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Install and Use SQL Server Report Builder

Last Update: Nov 19, 2024

In this article, Michael Otey shows you how to use SQL Server Report Builder. SQL Server Report Builder and Reporting Services Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) enables you to create, deploy, and manage printed, web, email, and mobile reports using data from SQL Server databases and Analysis Services (SSAS) as well as other relational…

Business people working on a laptop in a meeting

What Is SQL Server?: Understanding SQL Server and its Different Editions

Last Update: Mar 12, 2024

SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBM) developed by Microsoft that competes with Oracle, IBM DB2, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and other RDBMs. In this article, I’ll explain in detail what SQL Server is and go through its release history over the past three decades. I’ll also detail what are the different SQL Server versions…

Datacenter networking servers

SQL Server Essentials: What Is a Relational Database?

SQL Server is a relational database. But what is a relational database exactly? Mike Otey, our resident SQL Server expert, explains in this article. What is a relational database? A relational database is a type of data storage mechanism that organizes data into tables where each table consists of rows and columns. It is typically…

Datacenter networking servers

SQL Server Essentials: Create a SQL Database

Last Update: Dec 20, 2023

Databases are the primary containers for your SQL Server relational database objects. Some of the main relational database objects that are contained in SQL Server databases include: tables, schema, indexes, views, logins, security and roles. You can create a SQL database plus there are a number of built-in SQL system databases including the master, model, msdb and tempdb databases. Technically, SQL Server supports a…

Datacenter networking servers

SQL Server – How to Add a Table Using SQL CREATE TABLE

Once you have created a user database, you can begin to create tables using the SQL CREATE TABLE statement. Databases typically have many different tables. If you haven’t yet created your first database in SQL Server, check out this article on Petri about how to create a SQL database using the SQL CREATE DATABASE statement. Tables are structures…

Security

SQL Server Essentials: Modifying Table Data With SQL Insert, SQL Update, SQL Delete and Truncate

Last Update: Nov 02, 2023

Tables are one of the core components of every relational database system and SQL Server is no different. Tables store the data that the relational database engine uses for queries, reports, and other operations. In this article, I’ll show you how to modify data from a SQL Server table using T-SQL INSERT, T-SQL UPDATE, T-SQL…

Windows

SQL Server Essentials: Installing SQL Server Management Studio and Azure Data Studio

Last Update: Oct 04, 2023

Microsoft’s SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is the primary tool for working with SQL Server databases. In this article, I’ll guide you through the steps you need to follow to download and install SQL Server Management Studio on your PC. What is SQL Server Management Studio? SQL Server Management Studio provides an integrated environment that…

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