Brien M. Posey is a freelance technical writer who has contributed to dozens of books and is a six-time Microsoft MVP award winner. SQL Server 2005 reaches its end-of-life milestone on April 12, the ...

Sometimes, life really is like a box of chocolates. The same can also be said for software upgrades. Take, for instance, Visual Studio 2008. After all its various CTPs and RTMs, I feel like I've been ...

At first glance, I was a bit critical of the latest version of the Upgrade Advisor. Well, after going through that painful process, I proceeded onto my upgrade from SQL Server 2005 to 2008 using the ...

SQL Server 2012/2014 delivers compelling new capabilities that make an upgrade worthwhile. Many IT professionals agree that the AlwaysOn Availability Group (AG) feature offers the most value with its ...

Alan Joch has been an independent business and technology writer for more than a decade. His expertise includes server and desktop virtualization, cloud computing, emerging mobile applications, and ...

Joel Snyder, Ph.D., is a senior IT consultant with 30 years of practice. An internationally recognized expert in the areas of security, messaging and networks, Dr. Snyder is a popular speaker and ...

It's not 2008 anymore. Joey details the ins and outs of upgrading these aging Microsoft servers, including licensing changes, support options and potential pitfalls. It was a simpler time. A decade ...

Each version of Microsoft’s SQL Server comes with five years of full support, followed by five years of security-only updates. Here are five questions to ask before your next upgrade. 1. Should My ...

SQL Server and Azure SQL Database have a property called compatibility level. Microsoft supports compatibility levels back to SQL Server 2008 and has committed to keep those in newer releases of the ...

Microsoft Corp. is finally set to launch its SQL Server 2005 database on Monday. And despite a two-year delay, several users who have tested the software cited the improved performance and new ...