SQL Server – Backup to NUL trick - read throughput

A neat test for read speed backup throughput is to use the Backup to NUL .
NUL is a special “file”. It's...

System Stored Procedures

I've been using 4 alerts for corruption now for about 2 years for Errors 823, 824, 825 and 9100.  Basically...

Video/Voice conferencing and Microsoft Lync

Since I work mostly from home, video/voice conferencing and IM are of major importance to me, and using the right...

FIRST_VALUE() Analytic Function–SQL Server 2012

Given a customer table:
CREATE TABLE Customers
(CustId INT, OrderDate DATE, OrderAmount MONEY) ;
INSERT Customers VALUES
(1, ’2011-12-03', 12500)

, (1, ’2011-10-07', 15000)

, (1,...

How safe are your secrets?

We’ve all have service accounts, application accounts, sysadmin and domain admin accounts and other privileged shared accounts on our systems....

January 2012 Speaking Events

It has been a quiet past few months while my family has adjusted to having
two new additions (twins!), but...

Making Schema Changes in a Replication Topology

I've noticed in the forums there have been a number of people inquiring about making schema changes in a replication...

Orlando IT Pro Camp

The Orlando IT Pro Camp marks our third event after Tampa and South Florida. As with the prior IT Pro...

PowerView: Coordinating Chart Colors

During a recent customer engagement I was asked if it was possible to ensure that the colors in a Line...

Server Name and SQL Server Name

I have, in the past had the need to rename a server, either because the server has been named incorrectly...