How can I insert an image(JPG) into a SQL database?

Question

I have written an application to perform some tests in the lab.  After gathering the data I store it into a SQL Server.  I successfully managed to export all my raw numbers and calculations to the DB.  However I have not been able to export a screenshot of the Front panel.  I can write the screenshot to a JPG file just fine.  The problem is putting the image (binary data) into the DB.
So from what work I've managed to do, two questions come to mind:
1)  Is there a way to compress the screenshot, using standard JPG compression, without actually writing out to a file.  ie:  Just have a binary stream of the compressed image that I can write to the SQL database.
2)  Even if I don't use compression, I can't write any kind of data that appears as an image.  What kind of data do I need to be writing from LabView to store it properly in an 'image' or 'binary' type field in a SQL database?  I am not looking for answer "binary data."  Nor do I want the answer that is stated in the Help file for the DB Connectivity Toolkit(type - Data Cluster).  What I need is to know what kind of conversions I need to do on the image data that comes out of the FP.GetScaledImage.
I am using LabView 8.0 and have the Database connectivity toolkit.  We are running SQL Server 2000 and 2005.

Answer 1

I also hit this limit.  In the end I just wrote the JPGs to disk, and stored the file path in the DB.  Not the ideal solution, I know.
I'm trying to remember now, exactly what the problem was.  You're right to say the image data type should handle up to 2GB.  I think in the end, it was an issue of the LabView toolkit not playing well with newer versions of SQL Server, which have the image type.  Re-reading the error though, it sounds like it might be an issue with the ODBC driver.  FYI, 8KB used to be the max size for the largest types in SQL Server (I think binary in 2000).  I suspect this limit was coded into the driver or LabView, and can't handle the newer, larger types.
That being said, the LabView DB toolkit was either written poorly or written a long time ago.  It has issues with generating SQL queries that have the proper quotes.  For example, if your column names have spaces in them, the toolkit will be unable to generate a valid query, without some modification of the toolkit *.vi's.  Images in a database is not a new concept and not new to me.  I've never used a language where it was more complicated or difficult to get working.  Unless you absolutely have to, I'd work out a way to just store the JPGs to disk, with the path in the DB.  Spending too much time on this defeats the purpose of using LabView.
If NI decides to update the DB toolkit, then it might be worth giving it a try again.
In case any NI people are reading this, this is a not so subtle hint that you need to update the DB toolkit to support modern DB features.  Especially, if NI is charging $1000 for it.