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SQL Server Team articles

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SQL Server Team
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1 min read

Windows Azure SQL Database and SQL Server — Performance and Scalability Compared and Contrasted 

Curious about the differences in approaching performance and scalability in SQL Server vs. Windows Azure SQL Database (formerly SQL Azure)? Check out this new paper that brings together insights from the Microsoft SQL Engineering and Customer Advisory Teams (CAT) to detail the differences between on-premises SQL Server and Azure SQL Database tuning and monitoring techniques and best practices for database performance testing.
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Improved Cloud Scenarios and Compatibility with SQL Server 2012 SP1 CU2 and New Microsoft ODBC Drivers 

On Thursday, Microsoft is releasing SQL Server 2012 SP1 Cumulative Update 2 and new ODBC drivers.  The key benefits of the cumulative update include simplifying backup of SQL Server databases to Windows Azure storage and also improving SQL VHDs for Windows Server and Windows Azure VMs.  The new ODBC drivers allow greater Linux support on-premises and on Windows Azure VMs among other improvements.
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What’s Your Favorite Feature of SQL Server 2012? 

PASS Summit in November was a perfect opportunity to catch up with SQL Server community members to ask them about their favorite features of SQL Server 2012. We caught up with many of them at a local restaurant and captured their responses in this video to kick off Quentin Clark’s keynote.
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The Complete SQL Server Holiday Guide 

Ideally the holidays are a time to catch up with friends, family and food. But end-of-year deadlines and work emergencies can also make it a stressful time. Between the festivities, you may face some tough choices. Do I go to John’s holiday beer bash, or do I finish up the playhouse I’m building for Suzy?
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Unique Holiday Gift Ideas for the DBA 

Ring in the cheer, the New Year is near! As the holidays approach and the shopping days grow short, we think we’ve got a one-stop shopping list to help you find the perfect gift for the extra special DBA in your life! The SQL Server Holiday Gift Giving Guide includes unique gift ideas to use on the job or on evenings out on the town.
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Disk and File Layout for SQL Server 

Guest blog post by Paul Galjan, Microsoft Applications specialist, EMC Corporation. To learn more from Paul and other EMC experts, please join our Everything Microsoft Community. The RAID group is dead – long live the storage pool!   Pools fulfill the real promise of centralized storage – the elimination of storage silos.
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2 min read

The DBA’s Holiday Checklist 

Guest Blog Post by Chris Shaw, Xtivia. Chris is an MVP Award Recipient, the author of Pro SQL Server Practices 2012, and he can be reached at CShaw@xtivia.com or thought his blog.. At this time of year, I look forward to long visits with the relatives, eating more food than should be allowed by law and getting ready for the upcoming year.
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