Nov 7 2011
We all knew the dream had to come to an end at some point. Effective with licensing changes for SQL Server 2012 is the end of licensing based upon CPU sockets as an option for SQL Server. Since I’ve only ever had to deal with processor licensing (low CAL diet for me, thanks) I’m focused [...]
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 [...]
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
The service accounts for SQL Server have undergone expansion in the past few releases of Microsoft SQL Server. Back in the days of SQL Server 2000 and earlier you only had to deal with configuring a service account for the SQL and the SQL Agent services. Now you have to contend with those in addition [...]
Jun 18 2010
Last week while I at TechEd I had a conversation with one of my Application Analysts back in the shop about a problem database from an ISV that we have been dealing with for over a month. A patch had been put in place and I was reviewing the results of some queries against the sys.dm_os_wait_stats [...]
Jun 8 2010
My Magic On Whiteboard Greetings from New Orleans: where the air is thick with edumacation inside the convention center and just plain thick outside. I’ll confirm for you that this is the perfect place to hold a technical conference. No one wishes to go outside in this weather. As is usually the case [...]
May 14 2010
Paul Randal recently streaked through the the family picnic and tossed-down a hornet’s nest on the dessert table by starting a meme on which five things Microsoft should drop from their SQL Server product. I came to this party late – and uninvited – but I’m going to go ahead and drop my junk in [...]
May 6 2010
Paul Randal identified an issue in the SQL Server Missing Index DMVs (pre-SQL 2008R2) wherein they will, under the right wrong circumstances, recommend indexes that do already exist. This means that either missing is a subjective term or there is a bug in SQL Server 2005 and 2008. With the right people involved a great idea [...]
