So the other day I posted, Slipstream - Makes installs simple, and this afternoon I needed to do a SQL Server 2008 Standard install to get an evaluation environment of Team Foundation Server 2010 installed.

Well, I didn't follow my own advice.  I figured I had some good reasons: Read more

I was recently working on building a test environment for myself while I was studying for the MCITP-Database Administration exams.  SQL Server 2008 supports creating a slipstream install for service packs and cumulative updates so you can install to the latest SP or cumulative update in one step.

The problem… Read more

This is not a technical or SQL Server post, but it does illustrate the power of networking.

We recently took my daughter for a checkup at the eye doctor.  Our family has a history of poor eyesight and she has had glasses for a few years now.  Having moved to… Read more

After a great response to my last post on Certification, I need to post my thoughts on 70-450 PRO: Designing, Optimizing and Maintaining a Database Administrative Solution Using Microsoft SQL Server 2008.

I scheduled the test for exactly 2 weeks after taking and passing 70-432 TS: Microsoft SQL… Read more

Regular readers know that I enjoy being involved in the SQL Server community.  Over the last two and a half years I’ve progressed from being a “lurker” on the SQLServerCentral forums to one of the top posters and author, from not having attended a user group to co-President of my… Read more

This is probably part 1 of a series, but no guarantees.

Why Certify?

I've been working with SQL Server for 10 years and for most of that time I've thought certification was unnecessary.  When I first started out my boss was not a fan of MS certifications, so I wasn't… Read more

The Impetus

So after Andy Warren’s (@SqlAndy) blog post, PASS Update #24, last week and the follow-up posts by myself (A Swing and a Miss By PASS) and Brent Ozar (@BrentO) (PASS Summit Location Voting Results), PASS released the survey… Read more

We had a great turnout of 25 people for last night’s OPASS Meeting sponsored by Quest Software.

We started the meeting with the PASS Chapter Deck which has lots of information on it.  I did get one comment later that there was too much on the deck to process.

Networking Read more

March 9 6-8:30pm

This month's meeting sponsored by

Live Meeting: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/usergroups/join?id=QFG3GW&role=attend

Speaker: David Pless

David has been a Senior Premier Field Engineer with Microsoft for three years.  As a PFE he performs health checks, conducts chalk talks, and full training workshops.  He also works on reactive and proactive engagements on… Read more

On Saturday my son had his second baseball game.  When it was his turn to hit I reminded him to keep his eye on the ball because in his first game he had a struck out on a swing and a miss because he didn’t keep his eye on the…

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A few weeks ago I got an email from my backup administrator with a message like this:

Set type               : Backup
Set status             : Completed
Set description        : Weekday Backup

Resource name          : \\Server\Backups
Logon account          : System Logon Account
Encryption used        : None

Agent used                     : Yes
Advanced Open…

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I recently received my Speaker Evaluations for my session, Why I Use Stored Procedures, from Pam Shaw (@pamshaw) and as is my custom I thought I’d share them here.  My event recap is available here.  THe basic layout of the evaluation is to rate if the session…

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