Collecting data with PowerShell
Like most DBAs, I collect different statistics on the SQL servers I’m responsible for. I want to be able to track database growth over time. I also want a way to quickly check how much space is...
View ArticleHave your own SQL Summit
Last year I attended my first PASS SQL Summit. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I’m already looking forward to next year, when I’ll be heading to Charlotte for Summit 2013. Reading the twitter...
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Quickly Build a Database Sandbox Using SSDT Power Tools
I’ve written a few posts on using SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) to build a database sandbox to play in. There’s a few ways to build out the schema, either by using database object scripts or directly...
View ArticleSome notes from Chicago SQL User Group meeting December 13th, 2012
Tonight Scott Klein from Microsoft came to the downtown Chicago SQL User Group to talk about Windows SQL Federations. As a bonus we got a little more background on SQL Azure basics. It was a great...
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T-SQL script to add new schedule to existing job
Like a lot of fellow SQL Server DBA’s I have a number of production servers to manage. One of the tasks I have to perform every year is to create a new set of one-time schedules for an existing job....
View ArticleHow do you perform SQL security audits?
Do you need to track permissions on the SQL server databases that you are responsible for? Are you sure you know everyone who has sysadmin rights, or who can delete records from the production servers?...
View ArticleSQL Data Tools for Business Intelligence released
Last week saw the long awaited release of SQL Server Data Tools for Business Intelligence. This version of SSDT has the templates for creating Intelligence Services packages, Reporting Services...
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Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Step by Step – A Review
The latest tech book I’ve been reading is Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Step by Step, written by Patrick LeBlanc and published by Microsoft Press. This is an excellent book for anyone new to SQL. If your...
View ArticleMy SQL Lab now has clustering
“Hello, and welcome to our DBAs Anonymous meeting. Today we have a new visitor. Would you like to introduce yourself” “Hello, my name is John. I’m a DBA and I don’t know how to cluster servers.”...
View ArticleLearning to cluster – initial observations
I wrote a quick post a week ago, about finally setting up a failover cluster in my Hyper-V lab. I want to learn about clustering, especially as it relates to SQL, as that is a big hole in my DBA...
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Converting LOB data to SQL 2012 FileTables
I’ve been reviewing my notes on FileTables lately. If you’re unfamiliar with FileTables, introduced in SQL Server 2012, you can read up on them here. But briefly they are an update to FILESTREAMING...
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Creating a FileTable
This is another post on using FileTables in SQL 2012. For background you can see my earlier posts, Using FileTables in SQL Server 2012 and Converting LOB data to SQL 2012 FileTables. Assuming that...
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Inserting files into a FileTable using T-SQL
One of the big advantages to storing files in a SQL Server 2012 FileTable is to have the ability to copy files directly to the FILESTREAM storage. But sometimes you may want to create new files or...
View ArticleSome FileTable and FILESTREAM functions
This is a quick post to show some of the functions available to you for FileTables and FILESTREAMING. These are mainly to show information on the SQL instance and FileTables. All the scripts use the...
View ArticleScripts and slides from MADPASS demo on FileTables
Thanks to everyone who attended last night’s MADPASS meeting. I had a fun time running through my presentation on an Introduction to FileTables. I learned quite a bit in the process. Due to a glitch in...
View ArticleQuerying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Jump Start
This is just a quick post to let you know about an upcoming free training event for Microsoft’s 70-461 Exam, Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012. Microsoft Virtual Academy is hosting a live event on...
View ArticleTime to Give Back to PASS – Vote for BoD
OK, data professional. You’re a member of the Professional Association for SQL Server, better know as PASS (you ARE a member, right?). You’ve gone to at least one SQL Saturday event in the past to...
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Using Property Lists in SQL 2012 Full Text Searches
When I wrote about FileTables earlier I mentioned the new search capabilities you have with Semantic Search. What I forgot to mention was another new SQL 2012 feature of Full Text searches, Property...
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SQL Summit 2013 – 2 weeks to go
DECLARE @SQLSummit DATETIME DECLARE @NumDays SMALLINT SET @SQLSummit = '10/15/2013' SET @NumDays DATEDIFF(DAY, GETDATE(), @SQLSummit) SELECT Status = CASE WHEN @NumDays = 14 THEN 'Is it ever going to...
View ArticleMore Jump Starts for SQL Server 2012 Exams
About a month ago I wrote a post about a free live event on the Microsoft Virtual Academy, Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Jump Start. This course is still available, and it helps prepare you for...
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