Monthly Archives: April 2012
Interview with the Resource Database
Recently I had a chance to catch up with the Resource Database, which is rare given his reclusive ways as of late. Today, I bring you the answers you demand.
Me: So mssqlsystemresource, can I call you Resource Database?
RD: Sure, just keep in mind I won’t return your queries.
Me: So Resource Database, what have you been doing with yourself lately? Where have you been? What have you been up to?
RD: Oh, just hanging out behind the scenes. I don’t like the limelight, I leave that to my friend, TempDB. Most administrators don’t even know I exist and I like it that way.
Me: Shouldn’t administrators know about you?
RD: NOOOOO! Next thing you know they will want to query me for data, try to change my settings, and next thing you know they will corrupt me! I’m not having that. This is all off the record, right?
Me: Ah, sure. So what secrets are you hiding?
RD: I mostly work by keeping all the secrets of the system objects, you know sys.objects, I keep all of that stored and sealed up.
Me: Wait a minute? We see those in the sys schema of every database. What gives?
RD: Logically you are correct but physically you are incorrect. They are mine. How else do you think you can upgrade SQL Server? By letting everyone mess with those objects? I don’t think so! This interview is over! I’m outta here!
Me: Well there you have it folks. The mysterious Resource Database remains mysterious. Enjoy!
Want to See What’s New in SQL Server 2012?
When discussing SQL Server 2012 in the workplace, I have been asked several times for a summary of the new features as I am sure you have as well. Want to find a good source to quote for your answers? Well look no further: What’s New in SQL Server 2012 (en-US) – TechNet Articles – United States (English) – TechNet Wiki.
Enjoy!
Something Technical This Way Comes
To quote Ray Bradbury in Something Wicked This Way Comes: “Everything that happens before Death is what counts.”
Wow! How simple and profound. Do you live your life as if it counts for something? Do you have a passion? Are you living your life for that passion?
My passion is best practices for SQL Server and I am taking a step forward in my professional development by putting together a presentation that I will submit to SQL Saturday Orlando. I have struggled with this for sometime now and like most people I find it difficult to speak in front of audiences. That is really sad, because from 1999 through 2001 I was a travelling consultant that would teach classes and present in front of total strangers. As I moved away from that lifestyle, I became more of an introvert for some unknown reason and it is really difficult to break those chains. So if my presentation is accepted and you attend my class, keep that in mind. I welcome your advice and words of wisdom.
Enjoy!
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Best Practices Analyzer Is Now Available for Download
As many of you know already, I am very passionate about best practices. Thus, it is with great pleasure that I announce that the Best Practice Analyzer for SQL Server 2012 is now available for download (see link below). You will need the Microsoft Baseline Configuration Analyzer (MBCA) version 2.0 and PowerShell 2.0 installed in order to use this BPA. See my previous blog post on how to install the MBCA. Enjoy!
Practical Joke Turns Into Lesson Learned
When I returned to work this morning after my excellent getaway I learned of a power outage on Friday afternoon that took down the desktops in the Systems Administration area. Oh great!
When I logged into my machine, the login screen was different and then all of my files were missing. Oh no, my profile is hosed. No wait, there are no files under a previous profile. Oh crap!
After getting thoroughly pissed off that my day would be filled with installing software and recreating my machine, a sinking reality set it. I have a bunch of project files on my desktop that have not been saved to my share drive. I know better, but sometimes we don’t always take heed to our own best advice. Today, I thought was a good day to correct that.
The practical joke was that my buddies switched out the hard drive so no files were lost. This time!
I found a PowerShell Script to Backup Files Using Windows PowerShell and set it to backup my desktop to share drive automagically using task scheduler. I’m still testing it to see if it is the script to do what I need it to do. I could write one myself, but I am a PowerShell newbie and why reinvent the wheel.
Enjoy!
[Edited:]
The script above did not work out too well as it did not copy over folders. I created a simple script with the following line:
-
Copy-Item c:\Users\ewatson\desktop s:\ -recurse
That did the trick!
Savannah Weekend Getaway Day Three
The final day of our getaway, the saddest day, the trip home. The long and winding road leads back home. We are glad to be home, but sad to leave our little getaway. Being a history buff, I enjoy getaways of these sort of locations and I enjoy spending time with my wife away from home. Now I am looking forward to our next getaway, Pensacola in June for SQL Saturday!
Enjoy!
Savannah Weekend Getaway Day Two
Haitian Monument in Franklin Square
Francis Bartow, Colonel CSA
Day Two of our great weekend anniversary getaway was more subdued than day one. We walked around Forsythe Park and saw some wonderful statues including the one here of Colonel Francis Bartow of the Confederate States of America. A fascinating piece of information about the statues in Savannah is that all of them are facing their aggressors. For example, all Civil War battle monuments are facing the north.
Near the City Market area, we met some old friends who were also here for the weekend. Having been to Haiti, the Haitian Monument next to the city market was extremely fascinating. During the Revolutionary War, many Haitians fought with the colonists to help us gain our independence. That is utterly fascinating to me as I did not know that. The detail in this sculpture is fascinating. Of special note, Henri Christophe, depicted as the drummer in the monument, fought in the war and later became King of Haiti after he led them in their independence from France.
Paula Deen was happy to greet us!
Savannah Weekend Getaway Day One
Well we are waiting for dinner at the Pirate’s House restaurant in historic Savannah so I thought it would be a good time to catch everyone up on our adventure!
We arrived in Savannah in the late morning and walked right onto to our Oglethorpe Tour bus. For the next 90 minutes, we enjoyed the beautiful historic district with all of the colorful tales of Revolutionary and Civil War (better known as the War of Northern Aggression) history which was amazing for a Civil War buff like myself. At the conclusion of the tour we were dropped off at the City Market and we were famished on this cool spring afternoon.
After seeing the three block line for Mrs Wilkes restaurant, we decided to take in a cafe with great southern cooking. I had Cajun shrimp with grits and collard greens. My wife had a corned beef sandwich and pasta salad. The food was great.
We then walked a half mile looking through shops to the Leopold’s Ice Cream shop and soda fountain, which has been in Savannah for almost a 100 years. Later we went back to our hotel and enjoyed the hot tub. Tonight we are eating at the Pirate House and then taking the Ghost Tour! Enjoy!
Movie Memorabilia at Leopold's
Soda Foundtain at Leopold's
Long Weekend Ahead
Having projects I need to wrap up today before I head out-of-town for the long weekend, I’m having a hard time staying focused. Traveling for me is like my children going to Disney World, wait a minute I act just like my kids when we go to Disney World. If I were to win the lotto, I would travel everywhere possible. Did I mention that I love to travel? Oh, yeah I think I just did.
This weekend, my wife and I are headed to Savannah, and so are you. This weekend I plan on blogging about our weekend getaway, well not all of the details. This will be my first time travel blogging and I am excited to bring you along on our little adventure. Won’t you join us?
Enjoy!
I Am Passionate About Best Practices
After writing for the Tribal SQL project, I think I’ve realized just how passionate I am about best practices. For example, the other day I asked my wife if she could change our bed sheets to which she replied that they had only been on there two weeks. My retort was that best practices dictated changing the sheets weekly for optimum comfort in sleeping performance. Yes, I’m coocoo for Cocoa Puffs over best practices!
In the shower this morning, as that is where most of my brilliance comes from, I decided to start preparing myself to do a presentation. That has been a long time coming with my left side usually talking my right side out of it. Or was it the other way around? I can’t recall, moving on. Part of the stumbling block for doing a presentation was finding a niche in the SQL Server community and now I think I have resolved myself to that niche so I am slowly chiseling away at my excuses for not presenting at a SQL Saturday or my local user group. There are only a couple of excuses left now and those are slowly fading away, so now I must harness the power of the SQL Force! Next stop SQL Saturday, then possibly a SQL Rally and then SQL PASS; whereby my plan for global domination will be complete.
Enjoy!
SQL Swampland 