Jan 11 2011
While examining things you can do with the sys.dm_os_info Dynamic Management View I ran across an interesting outcome concerning SQL Server start time. Theorhetically, you can determine the last start time for your SQL Server services via any of the three methods: Create Date of tempdb (because tempdb is recreated each time the SQL services [...]
Dec 21 2010
In my preparations for all my presentations for 2011 regarding Dynamic Management Views and Functions as well as my consolidation efforts of instances at work, I found myself mulling over the easiest way to capture some of the metrics I would be using for determining current load on my SQL Server instances and capacity planning [...]
Sep 22 2010
I’ve received word that the labour of love (and almost Exhibit A in a divorce proceeding) is available for purchase at Amazon.com! If you’re even vaguely interested with increasing your proficiency with administrating and tuning your SQL Server instances then there is only one book I can recommend that has a photo I took on [...]
Jul 12 2010
It’s no secret that Louis Davidson and I are working on a book for Red Gate on Dynamic Management Views. Good news is that we’re close… oh so close. In the meantime Red Gate has published a DMV Starter Pack that includes exerpts from our book along with content from our Technical Editor: fellow SQL [...]
May 25 2010
Thank you Portland, Oregon and all those associated with puting together and participating in SQL Saturday #27 on 5/22/2010. I would personally like to thank the anonymous, but freakishly tall gentleman who attended my last session of the day and was somehow able to reach the projector on the ceiling in order to restart it after [...]
May 20 2010
I will be presenting on two topics at SQL Saturday #27 in Portland, OR this weekend: Backup and Disaster Recovery for N00Bs and Indexing Dynamic Management Views. It’s going to be exhausting, but fun: out of Detroit at 8pm EDT – Into Portland around 11pm PDT (that’s 2 AM “real” time folks if you don’t [...]
Apr 17 2010
I find myself sitting in the back of Jeremiah Peschka’s (web|twitter) session on Internals of The SQL Query Optimizer looking back on two presentations I conducted earlier today. Both ran long – 1 due to starting late, the other because it was just too damn big. Overall things went well. My shrinkingisbadandyoumustnotdoitorkittensaredevouredbyalligatorswhicharefedtobiggeralligatorswhicharethenrunoverbydrunkentruckers did not produce [...]
Jan 27 2010
On Twitter this morning I saw a plea for an explanation on what CROSS APPLY is in Transact-SQL. I answered the question via email and then realized that it may make for a post here on The SQL Agent Man… When used, CROSS APPLY will execute the function listed in the CROSS APPLY sub-clause of the [...]
