Additional Articles

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Connect to a SQL Azure Database Using SSMS or SQLCMD

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SQL Azure Tutorial

Azure

Learn how you can connect to a SQL Azure database.

2011-01-27

1,945 reads

ERROR_PROCEDURE Does Not Return a Schema Name

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SQL Server Performance

Error Handling

"A recent blog entry I read reminded me again that I wanted to rant about an issue in SQL Server for quite some time now. SQL Server 2005 introduced the separation between user and schema. Though schemata already existed before SQL Server 2005, they really became usable with this version, imho. At the same time TRY...CATCH was a new way for structured error handling introduced. And so it finally became possible…"

2011-01-26

2,799 reads

How to Speed up MS SQL Reporting Services on First Run

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MSSQLTips.com

Reporting Services (SSRS)

I set up a new instance of MS SQL Server Reporting Services, but I noticed that it starts up very slow and I have to wait for ages to access the site. I also noticed that it is always slow when it has not been used for a certain period of time.

2011-01-25

5,452 reads

BIT of a Problem

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SimpleTalk

T-SQL

The BIT data type is an awkward fit for a SQL database. It doesn't have just two values, and it can do unexpected things in expressions. What is worse, it is a flag rather than a predicate, and so its overuse, along with bit masks, is a prime candidate for being listed as a 'SQL Code Smell'. Joe Celko makes the case.

2011-01-24

3,676 reads

LINQ Lycanthropy: Transformations into LINQ

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SimpleTalk

LINQ

LINQ is one of the few technologies that you can start to use without a lot of preliminary learning. Also, it lends itself to learning by trying out examples. With Michael Sorens' help, you can watch as your conventional C# code changes to ravenous LINQ before your very eyes.

2011-01-21

3,948 reads

ShowPlan Operator of the Week - Merge Join

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SimpleTalk

Execution Plans

Did you ever wonder how and why your indexes affect the performances of joins? Once you've read Fabiano Amorim's unforgettable explanation, you'll learn to love the MERGE operator, and plan your indexes so as to allow the Query Optimiser to use it.

2011-01-20

3,194 reads

SQL Server Unit Testing with tSQLt

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SimpleTalk

Testing

When one considers the amount of time and effort that Unit Testing consumes for the Database Developer, is surprising how few good SQL Server Test frameworks are around. tSQLt , which is open source and free to use, is one of the frameworks that provide a simple way to populate a table with test data as part of the unit test, and check the results with what should be expected. Sebastian Meine and Dennis Lloyd, who created tSQLt, explain

2011-01-19

3,084 reads

Making a more reliable and flexible sp_MSforeachdb

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MSSQLTips.com

Administration

While the system procedure sp_MSforeachdb is neither documented nor officially supported, most SQL Server professionals have used it at one time or another. This is typically for ad hoc maintenance tasks, but many people (myself included) have used this type of looping activity in permanent routines. Sadly, I have discovered instances where, under heavy load and/or with a large number of databases, the procedure can actually skip multiple catalogs with no error or warning message. Since this situation is not easily reproducible, and since Microsoft typically has no interest in fixing unsupported objects, this may be happening in your environment right now

2011-01-18

3,580 reads