Moving to the Heartland
With companies like Microsoft and Google building data centers in small towns, Steve Jones has some comments about how this might affect IT jobs.
Rendering images from a database on SSRS reports
Looking for a way to put images on SSRS reports and allow the business users to change the images every so often? This article explains how to implement this in such a way that you don't have to modify a report when the image is changed.
The Agile Cult
Lots of developers have embraced Agile development, and Steve Jones thinks it's a good way to build software. However, it's not necessarily as easy as you might think.
Are my actual worker threads exceeding the sp_configure 'max worker threads' value?
Tom Stringer (@SQLife) was working on some HADR testing for a customer to simulate many availability groups and introduce significant load into the system to measure overhead and such. In his quest to do that he was seeing behavior that he couldn’t really explain and so worked with him to uncover what was happening under the covers.
SQL Server Central Webinar Series #24: Prepare for When Disaster Strikes
Our next webinar on July 23rd has Steve Jones presenting on some disaster stories with ideas on how you might prevent, or mitigate the effects, of those problem situations.
Survey: Understanding SQL Code
Understanding thousands of lines of code of an existing database is very time-consuming and tedious, prone to inadvertent oversight of key logic points. We are looking at advanced ways to provide greater insight into your code base while reducing the numerous demands placed on the developer. Please help us by completing this short survey to help us define the requirements.
Tables and Clustered Indexes Part 2
A table does not so much 'have' a clustered index as a table 'is' a clustered index.
What Counts for a DBA: Baselines
It is very difficult to pinpoint what ails a server, just by looking at a single snapshot of the data, or to spot retrospectively what caused the problem by examining aggregated data for the server, collected over many months. The answer? Baselines.
SQL Monitor Custom Metric: Top Buffer Cache Object
This metric measures the amount of memory used in the buffer cache by the largest object (based on the number of pages). It checks the sys.dm_os_buffer_descriptors to identify the object, and returns the relative percentage used. You should use this metric if you want to monitor what is in the buffer area, or if you are having performance-related disk read problems.
SQL Server 2012 Analysis Services XMLA
Cube developers often flippantly use the term XMLA in their discussion of maintaining, scripting, backing up, and restoring cubes and other SSAS objects; what exactly is XMLA and how can it be used? Check out this tip to learn more.
Blogs
From Planning to Practice: Setting Up Your FinOps Framework
By HeyMo0sh
As someone who works in DevOps, I’m always focused on creating systems that are...
“We love to debate minutiae”
By Brian Kelley
I am guilty as charged. The quote was in reference to how people argue...
Advice I Like: Knots
By Steve Jones
Learn how to tie a bowline knot. Practice in the dark. With one hand....
Forums
Restoring On Top II
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Restoring On Top II
SQL Art 2: St Patrick’s Day in SSMS (Shamrock + Pint + Pixel Text)
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Art 2: St Patrick’s...
Breaking Down Your Work
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Breaking Down Your Work
Question of the Day
Restoring On Top II
I have a database, DNRTest, that has a number of tables and other objects in it. The other day, I was trying to mock up a test and ran this code on the same server:
-- run yesterday CREATE DATABASE DNRTest2 GO USE DNRTest2 GO CREATE TABLE NewTable (id INT) GOToday, I realize that I need a copy of DNRTest for another mockup, and I run this:
-- run today USE Master BACKUP DATABASE DNRTest TO DISK = 'dnrtest.bak' GO RESTORE DATABASE DNRTest2 FROM DISK = 'dnrtest.bak' WITH REPLACEWhat happens? See possible answers