New Built-In TSQL Functions in SQL Server 2012

SQL Server 2012 (Code named SQL Server Denali) introduces 14 new built in functions in four different categories with one existing function (LOG) being modified to have an optional second base parameter, for more information click here.

Contained Database Authentication feature in SQL Server 2012

SQL Server 2012 introduces a new feature called Contained Database Authentication. The Contained Database Authentication feature allows the database to partially contain the data that was previously stored outside the database. In other words, once you enable the containment feature at the SQL Server instance level, you can create a database that can store user information/credentials inside the database itself (rather than having a login at instance level, which gets stored in the master database) and hence you don't need to create logins on the target instance (and do mapping of SID) again during database movement. Quite a relief...isn't it? For more information click here.

Usage and Benefits of Using WITH RESULT SETS In SQL Server 2012

SQL Server 2012 (Code name SQL Denali) introduces the WITH RESULT SETS clause with the EXECUTE statement, which lets you redefine the name and data types of the columns being returned from the stored procedure. This comes in very handy when you want to insert the records coming in a result set to a temporary table with a specific column name and data type and you don’t want to rely on what is being returned by the stored procedure.
The WITH RESULT SETS clause can also be used with a stored procedure, which returns multiple result sets and for each result set you can define the column name and data types for each column separately, for more information click here.

Data Driven Report Subscription in SSRS 2008 R2

In my last article I talked about standard subscription in which we need to specify whatever parameters the report expects at the time of subscription creation and which cannot be changed at runtime; in this article we are going to discuss and use data-driven subscription.
In data-driven subscription the data or parameter values required during execution of the report can come from a query from a database including recipient list, delivery method and parameter values needed for each recipient's report execution, which makes it a dynamic subscription that gets required data during run time from the external data source, click here fore more information.

Standard Report Subscription in SSRS 2008 R2

You can set the subscription for the report in which case report server processes the subscription, generates the reports and delivers it to its intended audience via email delivery or file share delivery on the defined schedule, to learn more about it click here.

Understanding SSRS Report Definition Language (RDL)

SSRS reports are defined in Report Definition Language (RDL), which is nothing but Extensible Markup Language (XML) adhering to a defined report definition language schema. When we use Report Designer or Report Builder to create reports, it defines the report in Report Definition Language (RDL), which is an XML representation adhering to a defined report definition language schema (defines where an RDL element should exist), for more information click here.

Report Snapshots in SSRS 2008 R2

You can set SSRS to create report snapshots, which show data at a point of time or you can subscribe to your published reports.

An SSRS report snapshot represents a report that contains data retrieved at a specific point of time along with layout information in the form of intermediate rendering format. SSRS allows you to create report snapshots on defined schedule or on demand whenever you need to; a report snapshot is stored in the ReportServer database, for more information click here.