SQL Server: Build Versions and Collation basics

SQL Server Build Version

http://sqlserverbuilds.blogspot.com.au/

How to determine which version I am running?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321185

Changing the compatibility

http://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/1436/upgrading-sql-server-databases-and-changing-compatibility-levels/

How to Change the Collation

Collations specify the rules for how strings of character data are sorted and compared, based on the norms of particular languages and locales.

/* Find Collation of SQL Server Database */
SELECT DATABASEPROPERTYEX('AdventureWorks', 'Collation')
GO

/* Find Collation of SQL Server Database Table Column */
USE AdventureWorks
GO
SELECT name, collation_name
FROM sys.columns
WHERE OBJECT_ID IN (SELECT OBJECT_ID
FROM sys.objects
WHERE type = 'U'
AND name = 'Address')
AND name = 'City'

• Changing the server collation is difficult. It will take to follow some procedures. Below link is the reference
  http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms179254.aspx  or http://blogs.lostincreativity.com/sqldba/changing-sql-server-collation-rebuilding-system-databases/

• Change a particular column is easy as comparison

USE AdventureWorks
GO
/* Create Test Table */
CREATE TABLE TestTable (FirstCol VARCHAR(10))
GO
/* Check Database Column Collation */
SELECT name, collation_name
FROM sys.columns
WHERE OBJECT_ID IN ( SELECT OBJECT_ID
FROM sys.objects
WHERE type = 'U'
AND name = 'TestTable')
GO
/* Change the database collation */
ALTER TABLE TestTable
ALTER COLUMN FirstCol VARCHAR(10)
COLLATE SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CS_AS NULL
GO
/* Check Database Column Collation */
SELECT name, collation_name
FROM sys.columns
WHERE OBJECT_ID IN ( SELECT OBJECT_ID
FROM sys.objects
WHERE type = 'U'
AND name = 'TestTable')
GO
/* Database Cleanup */
DROP TABLE TestTable
GO

More precisely described in
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/302405/The-Easy-way-of-changing-Collation-of-all-Database