View Flat File Contents Using PowerShell

We have all been there; you need to take a look at the data inside a file. Sure you can...

Book Review: On Writing A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

I just finished this book.  Literally.  Sitting on an airplane in route from Orlando to Charlotte NC.  I got up...

Can I still buy per socket licenses for installing SQL2008 R2 ?

Many times I have seen this question coming from users - Can I still buy per socket licenses for installing SQL2008...

SQL Server: How Recursive Common Table Expression (CTE) Works ?

Last Friday evening, I forced to look into a procedure which is using Recursive Common Table (CTE) . The procedure was...

Time Flies When You're Having Fun (Déjà Vu Edition)

Writing - be it a technical language like T-SQL, C#, PowerShell, etc. or blogging - is like exercise. When you do it...

Rollback TRUNCATE TABLE statement

Whenever I ask a SQL candidate in an interview the difference between DELETE and TRUNCATE TABLE, the first answer I...

Blocking in SQL Server by SPID -2 (Orphan distributed transactions)

Blocking in in SQL Server by SPID -2 happens due to Orphan DTC transaction, for instance whenever a data source...

Jump start your SQL 2012 Certification for FREE

Hey all you proactive SQL junkies, want to jump start your SQL 2012 Certification? Or are you just here because...

How to Find Bad Page Splits

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brickapolis/5474835288/

I was working with a friend last week, doing SQL related teaching and tune ups.  Earlier this week I had...

Learn to Use Books Online

One of the first questions I hear from folks wanting to grow in their Microsoft SQL Server DBA or database developer...