Last week, Microsoft released Cumulative Update #8 for SQL Server 2005 SP3. The build # is 9.00.4285. You can read the blog post from the Release Services team here: http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlreleaseservices/archive/2010/02/15/cumulative-update-8-for-sql-server-2005-service-pack-3.aspx And the Knowledge Base...
In my last post in this series, I talked about inconsistent table aliasing. Today I was reminded of another behavior that DBAs and developers alike can be lazy about: keeping Books Online current. There...
I've been invited to speak at SQLSaturday #33 in Charlotte at the beginning of next month. There are 9 tracks and a total of 54 sessions, with a great variety of sessions and a...
I was tagged by David Stein, a.k.a. Made2Mentor [ blog | twitter ], to talk about "MacGyver Moments" in my career – times when I've turned nothing into something. One clearly comes to mind,...
Simon Sabin has asked for better usability in the SQL Server Agent log viewer: specifically, to allow you to get to job / step properties directly from the history viewer. #531889 : Allow access...
See why it pays to be consistent about always aliasing every table and every column in your query.
Just wanted to drop a quick note to let people know that I will probably be pretty quiet on here for the next two weeks. We leave tomorrow for Vancouver to spectate at several...
In my last post in this series, I talked about "blind SQL Server installs" and some of the potential consequences of making uninformed choices during setup (or of just accepting all of the defaults). ...
In my last post in this series, I talked about some problems associated with relying on undocumented behaviors and commands. This time I wanted to touch on SQL Server configuration, and some of the...
IDENTITY columns are very useful, but consider whether they are needed on every single table.
I think anybody even remotely involved with databases these days has seen the xkcd comic about Bobby Tables : http://xkcd.com/327/ Basically, the comic warns against SQL injection, and reminds you to sanitize your database...
Upgrading a database with read-only filegroups Earlier today, I complained that I should be able to upgrade a database with read-only filegroups. In this case an upgrade from, say, 2000 to 2005 is blocked...
Over the years I have largely been amused by the variance in error messages that come out of SQL Server. Some are very verbose and some even border on provide too much information, but...
Brent Ozar (blog | twitter) recently made some comments about the FusionIO SSD drives. Basically, he was able to break three drives in a row – simply by doing load testing against them (using...