SQL Server Kicks Oracle's Butt

Sign me up for anything free these days. I just ran across a book that promises to help you build a web site for free...

You know, I think that the media shares a HUGE part of the blame for the economy. They screamed "things look bad!" so much that the general public got spooked and quit spending, thinking the worst. That leads to a spiral where people don't buy what you sell, and things DO get bad.  

It seems all the news can talk about is the "bad economy". Personally, I think they have talked a lot of people into panic mode, which has in fact made any kind of slowdown even worse. But hey, whatever sells TV ad time, right?

So since the public has so heartily embraced the news' view of the world, business has in fact slowed down. And it seems that the business wants everyone to cut costs. So what can the DBA do?

I've worked with more than one database system, as I'm sure many of you have as well. It seems to be common among Microsoft SQL Server DBAs to have done that.

With the new Management Data Warehouse in SQL Server 2008 and all the new meta-data, I get a lot of monitoring out of the box. But sometimes I need more...

I'm a big proponent of security for SQL Server. There are many parts to security, as I've explained in many of my articles and posts. But there is one area that a lot of SQL Server professionals might not be aware of - forensics.

I've been a little busy lately, and most of it is due to conferences. I present at quite a few of them around the world, and lately I've heard from a few of my DBA friends that they aren't always able to get to conferences lately.

The way I learned about database normalization was to memorize the statement "The Key, The Whole Key, and Nothing but the Key, so help me Codd". I normally (get it?) take a database ddesign to third normal form and them go back and de-normalize it back to something that works for my requirements.

I wrote a series of articles sometime back on PowerShell and SQL Server. The first series was on using the SMO provider for SQL Server access, and the second was on using the new SQL Server 2008 "native" provider that is far easier.

I've seen most DBAs come from two directions: system administrators that take care of databases, and developers who take care of databases. I've rarely met a "trained" DBA - one who has only ever worked with databases.

Most DBAs know how to work with the SQL Language, although some DBAs I know do a whole lot more administration than programming. For those folks, there's usually a developer involved that takes care of everything on the programming side. The DBA takes care of the hardware, backups, that sort of thing.

I teach a course on Wednesday nights at the Univeristy of Washington on Database Technology. The way I arrange my class is to start with a project, and then work my way through the project applying the database technologies along the way.

Seems like history keeps repeating itself - the markets are tumbling, and people are nervous about their finances. Your job is your lifeline - and you should know how to keep yours.

I was talking with a developer friend today about how I used to work on Oracle as opposed to how I work with SQL Server.

I was working with an application today that had an "Execute SQL Function", only I couldn't get it to work. I finally talked with the developer, and she told me that it was really using sp_executesql under the covers, although they re-wrapped it a bit.

I'm on a few social networking sites, like LinkedIn, but I'll be honest that I'm not very active on them. It certainly isn't because I'm not technology-driven - I'm at my PC all day.

As you may have heard, Microsoft has released a new way of querying data. This new language extension, called LINQ, is aimed mostly at the developer, but it doesn't hurt for DBAs to be aware of it either.

There's a new podcast here at InformIT that you should check out. If you use the CLR layer in SQL Server, you should check it out.

If you need to enforce a column to have unique values, there are a couple of choices you have to enforce that. One is the UNIQUE constraint, and the other is to make the column a primary key.

SQL Server 2008 was released to manufacturing today.

Many SQL Server DBAs are asked to do more than just the database. They are asked to look after multiple kinds of systems, which can be quite a challenge.

SQL Server 2008 is getting close, so several of you have told me that you're downloading the release candidate.

I've seen a lot of bad code in my day, and one of my favorite parts of the "Communications of the ACM" magazine that I read is "Kode Vicious", a writer who criticizes bad code.

I use Virtual Machines all the time - any time I need to develop or test something I fire one up. I used to work with VMWare's products, which I really like. Lately I've been using Microsoft's Virtual PC, but I just saw a new book on Xen, the Open Source VM software.

I've come in to lots of situations to tune a system, only to find that the database design needs work.

I was talking with someone today who wanted to refresh the basics on their knowledge of working with SQL.

I love learning new things. I was just speaking with several "geek" friends today about Object-Oriented Databases.

I've used quite a few products in the past to design databases, from large tools like ERWin to smaller tools like those inside SQL Server itself.

I've used a lot of design tools in my day, but these days I'm just using the diagrams in Visio for database Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERD).

I'm at TechEd this week and there are a few things that are catching a lot of buzz. One of them is virtualization.

I love going to TechEd. It's hard to beat getting together with 13,000+ of my favorite geek friends.

I mentioned in a previous post that you should check your applications for SQL Server Injection attacks. That brings up the entire process of security auditing.

A SQL Injection attack is simply inserting another statement inside a SQL string. Even though they are simple to construct, they can be difficult to defend against if your code is not set up properly.

In a few of my DBA roles, I only used Transact-SQL to work with database objects or to get Meta Data. In others, I was expected to create all Stored Procedures and Dynamic SQL for the entire team.

Recently SQL Server and its made the news-and not in a good way.

The headlines screamed - SQL Server and IIS are hacked! In fact, this was a standard SQL Injection attack - which has nothing specifically to do with IIS  or SQL Server. A SQL Injection attack is a result of not validating user-input, and it works against any DB and application that isn’t written properly.

From time to time you need help with a project. Perhaps you need more staff for a short period of time, or more often you're taking on a new task that you've never done before.

If you don’t have a formal plan for your disaster recovery, consider this a gentle reminder. Have a full set of articles here on InformIT that will help you with a complete strategy, but I want to focus on one component: Recovery Time.

Are you using SQL Server inside a VM? I do this all the time. It's supported for Microsoft's VM offerings, and I've found the benfits to be huge.

You should be using the Database Tuning Advisor, or DBTA, to help you evaluate your system's performance and even your database design. But are you aware that this system needs a little maintenance?

I've worked in a few shops that were all one vendor. Sun hardware, Oracle software, that kind of thing. And I think many of us have worked in all Microsoft shops.

When I worked with Oracle systems, I found that the storage system was always considered separately from the database engine. This made sense, because some Oracle systems ran on mainframe-like operating systems.

You've probably noticed that Microsoft has changed the process for getting hotfixes and so on for SQL Server. Sometimes that can be a bit confusing, but there's help in the works.

You may have heard that Ray Ozzie, the new Microsoft head, has announced a new direction for the company.

Microsoft has announced that there will be another Service Pack for SQL Server 2005.

Microsoft has built in a lot of backup functionality into the product - but do you use it?

I saw an article today from The 451 Group, a New York-based technology-industry analyst company that stated that most Open Source databases are used in Web settings. I really don't understand that. I've used lots of MySQL and Postgres, and I've simply found SQL Server Express easier to use.

I've been hearing a lot again lately about "outsourced DBAs", and I still haven't seen it work reliably. Well, that's not true - I have seen it work in one way.

I've done a series here on InformIT that talks about scripting and SQL Server. Lately I've been using PowerShell a lot more.

Most of us have enough on our hands just keeping the database systems alive and kicking. But these days, if you have a complex system, you're asked to do a little more.

Do you have any extra work these days as part of a "compliance" program at your company? It seems that some of the laws meant to protect us all end up generating nothing but revenue for compliance assistance firms and software.

I just read another post from the UK which mirrors some of the data I'm seeing for the US, involving jobs for database technology.

I normally don't play with the smaller editions of SQL Server, but lately I've been working with SQL Server CE edition.

I've blogged and written before about the importance of taking a baseline on your system...

With a database system, it's tough to maintain uptime. Sure, the systems normally run fine, but what about times when you need to take it down?

I've mentioned in my articles on Performance Tuning that you need to take a Benchmark on your systems so that you have something to compare measurements.

Microsoft is making a free offer on a book and three clinics on SQL Server 2008. Here's how you can get yours.

I'll be honest - I'm still getting used to the idea of using A Visual Studio inspired interface to manage SQL Server.

Everybody has a "junk drawer" in their house. A place where everything ends up, from warranty papers to broken flashlights. For some reason, they just never seem to get cleaned up. Why is that?

There are some fantastic performance reports you can get as an add-in to SQL Server 2005. There are some instructions to follow to get them to work, but it's awesome stuff when you do.

I've posted an article or two here at InformIT about Disaster Recovery. It's a great thing to have a plan, but...

Sun has announced today that they purchased MySQL.

Most tasks in SQL Server can be handled with a single tool. But there's at least one task that takes multiple tools - Performance Tuning.

The samples for SQL Server used to be delivered right on the CD's, or at least off of the TechNet site. But you're right if you've noticed that those vehicles don't have the samples any more...what gives?

Refactoring is the process of examining your Transact-SQL Server statements and performing the same actions in a different way. Now, different doesn't always mean better...

I used to work at a shop where we sold an application that used Windows, IIS and SQL Server. The big deal was that you had to license Windows for each user that ran the application, even though it was just used as a web front-end. Well, that may have changed a bit.

I figure the two worst problems with a database are corrupt data and an unavailable system. You can follow good coding and referential integrity tips to avoid much of the first problem, and you can implement a few other tips to help with the second.

I mentioned that many are predicting that Business Intelligence will finally come into its own in 2008. The trouble is, I've heard that every year for the past five years. Now I hear that 2008 will be the year of SOA.

I've read a couple of articles lately from two different sources. One had to do with a DBA at the research center at the South Pole, and the other was about the DBA's at the Denver International Airport.

I've seen predictions that 2008 will finally bring Business Intelligence to the forefront of company planning. The trouble is, I've seen that prediction for over five years now.

One of the biggest trends in our industry lately is the consolidation of companies. We see IBM, Oracle and Microsoft buying up either specialty companies to fill out their portfolios, to get certain people in the fold, or to remove the competition. Is this a good thing?

I was asked today what the difference between Express Edition and the Trial Edition is.

There are a lot of shops still running SQL Server 2000. Most of the time a company is not in a hurry to upgrade something that is working well for them.

I took my daughter to an outdoor ice-skating event that they set up near where we live. As I sat and watched her skate, I noticed the local name-your-group was selling Hot-Chocolate... 

I'm using Vista on my laptop, and for some reason I always forget to check the "optional" updates. I did that today and noticed that Books Online for September was available.

I try not to point you off to too many links from this blog and provide original content. But every once in a while I find something really useful that I just need to share. This is one of those times.

It's important to realize that there are a lot of things in SQL Server that are built right in. I've spoken with many DBA's who are working the long way around a problem.

I saw onthe Microsoft site today that there is a new CTP announced for "Longhorn" - the next version of Windows server.

David Litchfield is reporting that half a million database servers are sitting vulnerable on the Internet.

Well, it's official - after months of speculation, IBM popped down the big money and bought Cognos, a leading supplier of Business Intelligence.

I try to bring in new material (of my own) ever few days here, but every so often I just have to share a link. This is one of those times.

Sometimes, you can just state the way things should be, and at others, it doesn't work out that way. At most of the shops I've worked at, there are a set of rules and guidelines we followed for table names, when to backups, and other tasks.

No, I'm not just talking about SQL Server 2008, although I will be. I'm talking about all the other versions of things that are coming out...

We recently investigated an issue with the SQL Server Error Logs - the text files that SQL Server and the Agent write to - that were growing by a tremendous amount. Once we located the issue, we faced the problem of the size of the logs.

You can often find out how much adoption there is of a product by using the Google "trends" comparison. It shows a graph of the type of searches done against the two terms.

I just heard ANOTHER report on the news about personal data being released into the wild. In this case tens of thousands of records about Navy personnel was actually published on a web site for a while.

I've been seeing a lot of chatter about SQL Server and hyper-threading processors. The question usually comes up, does HT make things worse or better for SQL Server?

The answer is, of course, it depends. First, a word on hyper-threading. Hyper-threaded processors split calls up so that one processor looks like two. So far, so good, especially for SQL Server. However, just like in real life, nothing is ever free.

There's a great webcast over at Microsoft called "what I wish every developer knew about SQL Server'.

"Deprication" is is a fancy way of saying "We're not including this any more." There are things in SQL Server 2005 that aren't going to be supported in the next release of SQL Server.

I saw an interesting post this morning on a blog I monitor. It's about speeding up SQL Server Management Studio for SQL Server 2K5.

Every so often Microsoft offers some free training from their e-learning site. At the bottom of this link are some courses listed, some of which still let you register and some of them don't.

I've recorded a podcast on SQL Server Performance Techniques... 

If you're a DBA that manages systems in multiple timezones, you'll love this handy tray tool that shows up to 5 at a time.

Microsoft has created a proof of concept site to see if people like searching Books Online in addition to the traditional table-of-contents approach on the web.

If you haven't learned about the Service Broker in SQL Server 2005, check out this overview.

Microsoft has a new model for SQL Server Support.

Well, I had some issues that kind of trashed my VMWare installation of my test systems, so I decided it was time to rebuild anyway.

Most larger shops have a "lab" that they use to test things. I normally...

In SQL Server 2005 SP2 (and of course in SQL Server 2008) you can create your own custom reports that will show in SQL Server Management Studio. We’ve seen great adoption of this process, and it can really make Management Studio a one-stop-shop for showing server activity.

Microsoft announced the release of SQL Server 2008 at TechEd last July, which had previously been called "Katmai". Interestingly, SQL Server releases are named after mountain ranges in Alaska. They've released another Community Technical Preview since then...

The other day I saw a question regarding re-use of query plans. The developer was using "exactly the same" query in two places, but the query plan wasn't being reused - there were a lot of recompiles.

Sometimes no commentary is really necessary. You hit that key just a little too quickly... 

 I post this link from time to time, but it bears repeating.

If you've been playing around with Vista, you've already hit this problem, but I see it a lot so I thought I'd add it here.

This is really cool - a pre-built, SQL Server 2005 image running on Virtual Server.

Most of the people I spoke with at PASS last week use multiple database systems, most notably SQL Server and Oracle. Although some companies turn things like this into religious war, this isn't always the case.

I just finished an article that will be published here soon on the SQL Server Best Practices Analyzer.

Don't you wish Microsoft would just use plain language sometimes? Like when you run SELECT @@VERSION to find the service pack number. You get back a cryptic number that you have to scour the web to find. Did you know there's an easier way?

If you're brand-new to databases and SQL Server, you definitely want to check out the new videos Microsoft has just posted on the Express site.

The "AutoShrink" option on a database automatically recovers space in the database - sort of.

I've been asked this a number of times - so I thought I'd post the answer here. If you need to find the version number of a particular instance of SQL Server using only the Windows Registry,

I responded to an interesting post this morning on a newsgroup regarding the ISUER account and SQL Server. If you're using SQL Server behind a web applicaiton, you have many options when you connect to a database.

You might not be aware that there are several resources that Microsoft provides for free to the public for learning and using Microsoft SQL Server.

I'm very passionate about the database role in technology. As DBA's and Database Developers, we are the backbone of most applications. In some way, some how, most every application stores and retrieves data, so our part of the equation is pretty important.

It's amazing what we get attached to. Blankets, stuffed teddy-bears, and for some of us....

In my past as a consultant it was always interesting to see the reactions when I would ask certain questions. I'd go out to a site to solve a "huge" or "complicated" problem. I learned fairly quickly not to jump to conclusions, thinking I knew what the problem is from the description I'd been given. Instead, I went down the list. Backups? Maintenance? Logs? All the 101 stuff.