SQL Server 2008 R2 Multi-server Administration - A First Look

One of the most useful new features of SQL 2008 R2 for DBA’s is the ability to manage and administer multiple instances of SQL Server from a central location using the new SQL Server Utility tool.

Configure Windows Firewall for SQL Server 2008 Database Engine in Windows Server 2008 R2

I have installed SQL Server 2008 Developer Edition on Windows Server 2008 R2 and I am unable to get connect to SQL Server 2008 Instance from SQL Server 2008 Management Studio which is installed on another remote server. As I am new to Windows Server 2008 R2 it would be great if you can let me know the step by step approach to enable the default port of SQL Server 2008 in Windows Firewall for user connectivity.

SSIS Packages - the Simplest Way to Create Them

Martin Policht delves deeper into the specifics of SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2's Integration Services by presenting the most straightforward method of creating SSIS packages using Import and Export Wizard.

Leaving a SQL Server DBA Job Gracefully

You’re leaving your current employer for a new opportunity and want to make the move as smooth as possible. You don’t want to burn your bridges and want to make sure that everything you’ve left behind can be managed by the people you’ve left behind or the DBA who is replacing you. So, you’ve done your handover documentation and trained up the new guy. You definitely don’t want to be that DBA who is cursed the week after they leave when their network account is disabled and a bunch of stuff ‘breaks’.

An overview of Master Data Services - MDS in SQL Server 2008 R2

With Master Data Services, IT organizations can centrally manage critical data assets companywide.

SQL Server 2008 Audit Change Group

Auditing your SQL Server instances has become more of a concern these days. SQL Server 2008 introduced a new feature named SQL Server Audit. Enabling this feature can be done in just a few simple steps, but so could disabling this feature. And when it comes to audits, many times you are asked to provide proof that the audit itself has not been tampered with.

Kimball University: Three ETL Compromises to Avoid

Why neglecting slowly changing dimensions, failing to capture metadata and overlooking scope creep can be the undoing of a dimensional data warehousing initiative.

Database Activity Monitoring Part 2 - SQL Injection Attacks

If you think through the web sites you visit on a daily basis the chances are that you will need to login to verify who you are. In most cases your username would be stored in a relational database along with all the other registered users on that web site. Hopefully your password will be encrypted and not stored in plain text.

Procedural, Semi-Procedural and Declarative Programming in SQL

A lot of the time, the key to making SQL databases perform well is to take a break from the keyboard and rethink the way of approaching the problem; and rethinking in terms of a set-based declarative approach. Joe takes a simple discussion abut a problem with a UDF to illustrate the point that ingrained procedural reflexes can often prevent us from seeing simpler set-based techniques.

Database Activity Monitoring Part 1 - An Introduction

We are inundated with new technologies and products designed to help make our organisations safe from hackers and other malcontents. One technology that has gained ground over the past few years is database activity monitoring. It makes sense to protect valuable databases, and by adding an intelligent monitor capable of sniffing out threats an additional level of protection can be gained.

But what is database activity monitoring and why should you care?