SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Released

Some of my clients and I have been waiting on this for a little while – SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 2 has been released.  It includes resolutions for 21  issues and the inclusion of fixes for 61 issues previously resolved. Along with the resolution of those issues, Service Pack 2 includes a few new … Continue reading SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Released

Find Tables and Columns by Data Type

A couple weeks back someone asked me some questions about data types.  Apparently, while implementing some financial data, each developer on the project had chosen their own data type.  This was a bit of a problem that can lead to serious problems.  When financial data is rounded unexpectedly - bad things can sometimes happen and … Continue reading Find Tables and Columns by Data Type

Webcast Today – Using XML to Query Execution Plans

I’ll be speaking for the SQL PASS Database Administration Virtual Chapter today at 12 PM Eastern time.  The topic will be Using XML to Query Execution Plans.  The abstract for the event is the following: SQL Server stores its execution plans as XML in dynamic management views. The execution plans are a gold mine of … Continue reading Webcast Today – Using XML to Query Execution Plans

Webcast Next Week – Using XML to Query Execution Plans

I’ll be speaking for the SQL PASS Database Administration Virtual Chapter next week.  It’ll be on July 28 at 12 PM Eastern time.  The topic will be Using XML to Query Execution Plans.  The abstract for the event is the following: SQL Server stores its execution plans as XML in dynamic management views. The execution … Continue reading Webcast Next Week – Using XML to Query Execution Plans

Webcast Today – Performance Impacts Related to Different Function Types

I’ll be speaking for the SQL PASS Performance Virtual Chapter later today starting at 12 PM Eastern time.  The topic will be Performance Impacts Related to Different Function Types.  The abstract for the event is the following: User defined functions provide a means to encapsulate business logic in the database tier.  Often the purpose of … Continue reading Webcast Today – Performance Impacts Related to Different Function Types

Displaying Microsoft Project Task’s Notes in SSRS 2008

I was asked to take a look at an issue the other day regarding displaying Microsoft Project Task’s Notes in SSRS 2008.  If you’ve worked with building reports for Microsoft Project Server, you have no doubt dealt with the RTF data that is stored in the Task’s Notes fields. With SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services … Continue reading Displaying Microsoft Project Task’s Notes in SSRS 2008

SQL Server Best Practice Whitepapers

If you talk to Sarah (twitter), she’ll tell you that I like lists.  Lists are awesome – they are almost like non-structured data.  They are hierarchies of information that I can work with.  They are Data. Microsoft must have known I liked lists because over the weekend I discovered (see below) their SQL Server Best … Continue reading SQL Server Best Practice Whitepapers

Webcast Next Week – Performance Impacts Related to Different Function Types

I’ll be speaking for the SQL PASS Performance Virtual Chapter next week.  It’ll be on July 6 at 12 PM Eastern time.  The topic will be Performance Impacts Related to Different Function Types.  The abstract for the event is the following: User defined functions provide a means to encapsulate business logic in the database tier.  … Continue reading Webcast Next Week – Performance Impacts Related to Different Function Types

Do You Patch SQL Server Regularily?

Microsoft has released a few new Cumulaive Update for SQL Server. There is an update for each of the supported releases of SQL Server: Cumulative update package 10 for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 3 Cumulative update package 8 for SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 Cumulative Update package 2 for SQL Server 2008 R2 … Continue reading Do You Patch SQL Server Regularily?

Index Those Foreign Keys

Today started with some quality time getting to know a deadlock that had occurred. While working through the deadlock, I noticed that there were a number of foreign key relationships that weren't indexed on the parent side of the relationship. I am going to skip over the why to index foreign keys and save that … Continue reading Index Those Foreign Keys