SQLServerCentral.com launched a new Stairway content series today, targeting specific areas of SQL Server.  Each Stairway includes a series of up to 12 levels focused on a specific SQL Server topic.  The goal is to guide DBAs and developers with little or no understanding of a subject through a sequence of tutorials in order to quickly gain the knowledge one needs to use a SQL Server feature confidently in a production environment.  Kalen Delaney, editor of the Stairway series, is one of the most respected experts in the world-wide SQL Server community.

I was flattered when Kalen gave me the opportunity to contribute to the series with a Stairway on Server-side Tracing.  For years I’ve cautioned against using Profiler indiscriminately both here as well as in the MSDN forums and newsgroups.  But it seems many DBAs still don’t differentiate between Profiler and server-side tracing.  I’m hoping this Server-side Tracing Stairway will empower DBAs with the knowledge to choose the right tool for the job.

My apologies for having gone dark for the last several months.   The subject of this post is the primary reason; there are only so many hours in the day L