Stairway to Server-side Tracing - Level 10: Profiler versus Server-Side tracing

Dan Guzman from SQLServerCentral.com

Compares and contrasts tracing using Profiler with server-side tracing, illustrating important performance differences so that one can choose the right tool for the task at hand. More »

From the SQLServerCentral Blogs - Database Mirroring Performance Counters

Chris McGowan from SQLServerCentral.com

This week’s SQL Skills insider email contains a simple but often too true scenario regarding database mirroring.  If you haven’t... More »

Steve is currently away on vacation. Today's guest editorial is by Phil Factor.

Cloud technologies can be adopted to advantage, but there’s more to it than signing a cheque and moving gracefully, tranquilly into the Cloud like some Greek god. You are entering a commercial relationship with a Cloud provider that may lock your company into long-term commitments. Those commitments could prove to be expensive if you don’t do the right checks.

I remember once chatting to a salesman for a large computer company who confided in me that most of the profit was in the ‘extras’. He had based his career on the trick of pitching a ‘bottom-line’ figure that belied the trail of extra requirements that only became apparent near launch.

Cloud services seem cheaper than in-house provision, but you have to check for ‘extra’ costs that emerge when the terms of service turn out not to meet your requirements. The service providers present you with a bewildering menu of  subscription plans, SLOs, and SLAs to meet different needs, but the menu is in Greek or perhaps Double Dutch.

How do the fees scale? The fee that you’re being quoted for a Cloud service may be based on particular volume of use or level of service. What happens if the volume of data or the level of access increases? Is the extra charge linear? Is there a volume discount, or a punitive increase?

Once you have that sorted, what service level should you select. Do regulations compel you to ensure that certain types of data are held in a particular legislative region? Does it cost extra?

You’ve got to be able to deploy your applications easily. Does the service provider offer the proper management tools? Is it easy to move data, applications, and VMs into the Cloud? Is it easy to get your data out? Is it all part of the basic service?  Can your data be retrieved should the service cease to exist?

Are your security requirements met? Does the service provider also give you the reports that are required for compliance and auditing?

Your disaster-recovery strategy may specify that your Cloud provider will automatically move your data away from any areas of risk, such as civil unrest, storm, or pandemic. Can they do this? Do they charge extra for this service?

You may find that, as your needs change, you require faster network access or data storage. You might need improved data resiliency. It is best to know beforehand what your prospective provider will charge for all of this.

I’m as open as anyone to the idea of Cloud services, but just don’t forget to read the small print.

Phil Factor from SQLServerCentral.com

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Today's Question:

Which one of the transaction Isolation levels would you use for a transaction that meets this criteria

1. The statements in your transaction should read only committed data.

2.  Other transactions should not be able to modify the data that has been read by your transaction

3. Other transactions can insert new data into the table with values that would fall in the range read by your transaction.

By Sagari Bellamkonda

Think you know the answer? Click here, and find out if you are right.

This question is worth 1 point in this category: Isolation Levels. We keep track of your score to give you bragging rights against your peers.

We'd love to give you credit for your own question and answer. To submit a QOD, simply log in to Contribution Center.

 Inside the SQL Server Query Optimizer

This book will take you from the fundamentals of Statistics, Cost Estimation, Index Selection, and the Execution Engine, and guide you through the inner workings of the Query Optimization process, and throws in a pragmatic look at Parameterization and Hints along the way. Grab your copy today from Amazon!

SQL2012 introduced a new functionality called the FileTable. What is it, where and how is it used and what data is stored therein? (Select 3 options)

By Stewart Campbell

Answer:

• It is a special table of files for applications that require file and directory storage in the database, with Windows API compatability and non-transactional access;
• It is used in conjunction with the VARBINARY(MAX) datatype and FILESTREAM storage type;
• Every row contains: A FILESTREAM column for stream data and a file_id (GUID) identifier (The FILESTREAM column is NULL for a directory.); Both path_locator and parent_path_locator columns for representing and maintaining the file and directory hierarchy; 10 file attributes such as created date and modified date that are useful with file I/O APIs; A type column that supports full-text search and semantic search over files and documents.

Explanation: FileTable enables the non-transactional addressing of files stored in the database by applications by making use of given Windows API's. It requires the database be configured to allow for non-transactional access, with the file and directory structure hierarchy exposed under the FILESTREAM share configuration for the SQL Server instance. for further reading, please see FileTables (SQL Server)

» Discuss this question and answer on the forums

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Security Cookbook 

Each recipe comprises step-by-step instructions followed by an analysis of what was done in each task and other useful information. The book is designed so that you can read it chapter by chapter, or look at the list of recipes and refer to them in no particular order. Each example comes with its expected output to make your learning even easier thus enabling you to successfully secure your SQL Server 2012 database. This book is for SQL Server administrators, developers, and consultants who want to secure their SQL Server database with cutting edge techniques for data and code encryption, user authentication and authorization, protection against brute force attacks, denial-of-service attacks, and SQL Injection, securing business intelligence, and more. Working knowledge of SQL Server is expected.

Get your copy from Amazon today.

Dynamic Database Backup

Mitch Spruill from SQLServerCentral.com

Backup up all databases based on sys.databases. More »

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Article Discussions by Author : Discuss Content Posted by Jeff Moden

need a urgent help - CREATE TABLE STUDENTLOGIN(username varchar(30), password varchar(30), created_by_id varchar(20), created_date varchar(20), updated_id varchar(20), updated_date datetime, transaction_id numeric(12)); the above table i create