SQLServerCentral.com Articles tagged Miscellaneous

Internals and Performance class in Dallas

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 07:00:00 UT

At last, my blog is starting to pay real dividends. Not only do I get the opportunity to publish my...

Oracle and SQL Server Data Interoperability Issues - Part 1

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:00:00 UT

As much as we're SQL Server folks here, sometimes we do need to connect to other data stores. Hai shares some of his experiences doing so. Might come in handy someday.

The Hazards of IT

Fri, 23 May 2008 06:00:00 UT

Are you taking care of yourself as an IT professional? We try to cover all aspects of your SQL Server career here, not just the technical stuff. Longtime SQL Server guru Michael Coles brings us some health tips in an interview with Dr. Jerry Sanders

From DBA to DBAA

Fri, 09 May 2008 06:00:00 UT

Most of us DBAs have worked on our career to get where we are. A DBA is usually a second or third step in IT and we we've looked to advance our understanding of technology. Jeffrey Yao now brings us a new level of database work to which we may aspire.

Worst Practices - Not Using Primary Keys and Clustered Indexes

Fri, 09 May 2008 06:00:00 UT

Two weeks ago Andy started his wildly successful series on Worst Practices. This week he continues that series discussing why failing to use primary keys and clustered indexes are worst practices. Agree or disagree, read the article and join the discussion. One thing you'll have to admit, reading an article by Andy is a lot more interesting than reading Books Online!

Is XML the Answer?

Fri, 02 May 2008 06:00:00 UT

New Author! Don Peterson writes his first article for us and explores why he considers XML to be...bad! There are some interesting points made here and if you've haven't thought about what XML means to you as a DBA, it's a subject worth spending some time on.

Free Encryption

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:00:00 UT

Free SQL Server 2000 Encryption for your data!!! Author Michael Coles has put together a tolljit and some XPs that you can use to encrypt your data with the Blowfish algorithm. It is hard to write good applications that encrpyt data and manage the keys and security. This will give you a great headstart on protecting your data.

Free Tools for the SQL Server DBA

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:00:00 UT

Everyone has a set of handy utilities and tools that they use with their SQL Server, but sometimes convincing an employer to purchase tools is hard. Longtime DBA David Bird brings us a list of the tools he likes to use and are FREE.

New Column Updates

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:00:00 UT

What is the fastest way to update a newly created column in a large table? New author Bimal Fernando brings us a look at a technique he uses for just this situation.

2007 Tech Salary Survey Results

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 06:00:00 UT

Dice.com recently completed a salary survey for 2007. If you didn't participate, Steve Jones summarizes the results for DBAs.

A Common Architecture for Loading Data

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:00:00 UT

Importing data files is always a challenge for a DBA, especially when the files might vary in format. Having one codebase is important and new author Mark Balasundram brings us the template for a high performance application to do just that.

The SQL Server 2005 XML Temptress

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:00:00 UT

SQL Server 2005 has greatly expanded the XML capabilities of this platform, but should you use it in your database? New author and MVP Simon Munro brings us a look at how he has used XML and where it might fit in your database.

Using VBScript to Automate Tasks

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 07:00:00 UT

This article discusses why VBScript should be one of the tools you use to manage your server. Sample scripts show how to remove files over x days old and how to FTP files.

My Projects Have Never Failed

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:00:00 UT

As a SQL Server DBA or developer, how do you measure the success of your projects? What about your users? Here is an interesting look by Janet Wong at a few of her projects and how their success was perceived. See if any of your experiences are similar.

Keyword Searching in SQL Server

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:00:00 UT

Have you ever wanted to ensure that keywords in your data are easily searchable? Have you struggled with full-text search? New author Michael Ahmadi brings us an interesting idea for a keyword tracking and searching subsystem based on T-SQL and triggers.

Running a Query Using a Text File for Input

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 07:00:00 UT

When automating administrative actions for SQL Server, there are a number of ways to handle the workflow. Longtime SQL Server DBA Roy Carlson brings us a technique for using a text file as input to the standard SQL Server tools.

Document Your Database

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:00:00 UT

Computer professionals are constantly complaining about the documentation for the software they use. And are notorious for not documenting their own code very well. Longtime author Raj Vasant brings us a short article with some suggestions on how to go about documenting your databases.

What's a Good Manager

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 07:00:00 UT

What makes a good manager? In response to a recent thread, Janet Wong takes us through some of the good and bad managers she's had during her career and talks about the problems today with technical managers.

Top 5 hard-earned Lessons of a DBA
New! Part 4, ‘Disturbing Development’ by Grant Fritchey, features the return of Joe Deebeeay and a server-threatening encounter with ORMs - read it here

Introduction to Bitmasking in SQL Server 2005

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 07:00:00 UT

The use of bitmasking is usually limited to decoding values in the system views, but it can be useful in other places when you want to save space. New author Lee Everest brings us an introduction to bitmasking and its use in SQL Server 2005.

Ten Ways To Lose Your DBA Job

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 07:00:00 UT

We often see ways to improve your career, but there's a flip side as well. In the spirit of our "worst practices" series, Steve Jones takes a look at ten skills that could cost you your job if you can't perform them.

Developers and DBAs

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 07:00:00 UT

The battle between developers and DBAs can be a rough one at times. However DBAs are often outnumbered by developers and need to be sure they fit in. DBA Janet Wong brings us one of her experiences about how you can better go with the flow.

Importing XML Files Into SQL Server

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 07:00:00 UT

Have you ever received an XML file from someone to import into SQL Server? It's not as easy as you might expect, especially in SQL Server 2000. New author Steve Moore brings us an article and code on how to do just that.

Date and Time in SQL Server 2008

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 06:00:00 UT

SQL Server 2008 is well on its way to being complete and released with the release of the second CTP recently. There aren't a tremendous number of changes, but one of the more interesting ones is the changes to date and time handling in this new platform. The time and date datatypes have been separated and longtime SQL Server author Vincent Rainardi brings us a short look at how there can be used.

Survive A SQL Server DBA Technical Interview

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 06:00:00 UT

Another little bit of career advice, this time from longtime author Jeffrey Yao who gives you some pointeres on what you should know for your next job interview.

Partitioning - Part 2

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 06:00:00 UT

Continuing on with a look at SQL Server 205 partitioning features, Andy Warren delves into archiving techniques.

The Troubleshooting List

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:00:00 UT

SQL Server guru Andy Warren brings us a list of things that he considers when things go wrong. Read about some of the common sense approaches to solving performance and other problems.

Working Your SOX Off

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 06:00:00 UT

The Sarbanes-Oxley act has drastically changed the jobs of many DBAs with the audit and reporting requirements this act entails. Brandie Tarvin brings us some hints about how you can go about complying with the new requirements.

Beginning Professional Development

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 06:00:00 UT

Continuing with his series on professional development, Andy Warren takes a look at funding some of your career growth and why it pays to invest in yourself.

A Cynic's Top Ten Tips for IT Contractors

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 06:00:00 UT

As autumn approaches, Patrick Index produces his ten hot chestnuts for IT Contractors like himself, with a jaundiced 'contractor's-eye view'.

How to automate your .NET and SQL Server deployments
Deploy .NET code and SQL Server databases in a single repeatable process with Red Gate Deployment Manager. Start deploying with a 28-day trial

The Socialization of Knowledge

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 06:00:00 UT

This article is an excerpt from the forthcoming book, Business Metadata, to be published on or about September, 2007, co-authored by Bill Inmon, Bonnie O’Neil and Lowell Fryman, published by Morgan Kaufman.