Author Archives: SQLGator
SQL Saturday #151, T minus 3 Days and Counting
It’s Wednesday and the 6th annual SQL Saturday for Orlando is around the corner. This is where it all started, it is also home to the first SQL Saturday that I went to. You know you want to get some free learning and eat some great barbecue.
There is still time for you to register and come see some of SQL Server’s greatest speakers. Then when you finish their sessions, stop in for mine so that you can fully appreciate how great they really are. There are also two excellent Pre-Cons by Kevin Kline (twitter | blog) and Stacia Misner (twitter | blog). If you have never attended a Pre-Con, then do yourself a favor and try it, it is worth the $99. Enjoy and see you there!
Keeping Track of Details
After creating a few new SQL accounts this morning, I thought I would share how I keep track of minor details like this. We use SharePoint for our department to track documents, procedures, processes, etc. This is a great place to track minute SQL Server details like accounts and databases. For example, we have over 280 databases across 32 servers. Some of the applications may have five or ten databases and I cannot keep 280 databases in my head as far as where they are, what application they are used for, who the business owner is, and if they are production, acceptance, or development.
I setup a SharePoint spreadsheet (ok its called a datasheet, but it is just a spreadsheet), for tracking SQL user name and passwords and of course I limit the access on this sheet, in case you were thinking about that. This is handy so that we do not have to reset them when the application administrator forgets it and wants to reset it and throw the application into turmoil. I also setup a datasheet to track the name, server and the business owner so I know who to contact when a server goes down, who to contact when I need to do maintenance, in addition to knowing where the database is when a user reports an issue. This is a great organizational tool, I hope it helps you.
Do you do this differently? Enjoy!
SQL Saturday #168, Tampa BI Edition
Yesterday I received some terrific news, I was selected to speak at the Tampa BI Edition of SQL Saturday on November 17, 2012. I will be giving my “Best Practices Are Not Just Hypothetical” presentation at 2pm. I would like to thank the Tampa Business Intelligence SQL Server User Group; I am humbled by their selection.
Register for a great day of free SQL Server learning highlighting Business Intelligence but also featuring database administration and professional development. It will be located again this year at KForce Professional Staffing in beautiful Yboy City. Check out the two excellent pre-con trainings provided as well. I cannot wait to see you there. Enjoy!
Sunday Funday
Today’s installment of Sunday Funday brings you some fun with T-SQL by Nick Jacobsen, the classic 99 Bottles of Beer T-SQL style. Enjoy!
Setting Your Sights
Today I went to a local gun range to try to sight my 7mm-08 Savage hunting rifle. After missing several shots, I became somewhat agitated to not be hitting my target, not even hitting the paper. While trying to bore sight it at 25 yards, I realized that my nice scope was not working. The adjustment knobs were stripped and unable to readjust the scope.
This is like life, we get frustrated when we don’t hit our targets only to find that our sights are not set on the target. We must be able to readjust and zero in on our targets and goals. Enjoy!
Using the Right Tool
My week has been spent deep diving with the OpNet AppInternals Xpert and AppResponse console to learn some more valuable troubleshooting skills for our servers and applications that we administer including SQL Server and Oracle.
Using OpNet, I have been able to resolve three major headaches for my team this week working with their engineer. I am reminded of the simple fact that sometimes the ability to do your job well consists of having the proper tools to perform the job. With the cost of these tools sometimes you have to be able to justify the need but this one pays for itself many times over and that says a lot because it is pricey.
24 Hours of PASS, Free Training Today!
Today is the semi-annual 24 Hours of PASS free training day. Sessions started at just a little while ago, so you still have time to sign up here. There is something here for everyone from business intelligence to professional development to hard core database administration. I personally am signed up to watch eight different sessions throughout the day, work permitting; it would be more but there is some stuff that I just do not work with. So get out on out there and get your SQL Learning on. Enjoy!
SQL PASS Summit is Less Than Seven Weeks Away!
This morning I came across a stark reality: SQL PASS Summit 2012 is less than seven weeks away! I cannot fully describe the emotions of my first trip to Summit; some anxiety, mostly excitement, fear of the unknown, anticipation of meeting so many online friends and a thirst for new knowledge. I am so ready for the networking, the learning, the socializing with #SQLKaraoke, the after parties, but mostly just hanging out with my #SQLFamily.
On a personal note, I have been to Seattle once in my life, in high school. Five friends, my math teacher and I went on a field trip before my junior year where we participated in the Mu Alpha Theta National Mathematics competition after winning the State competition for Algebra II. Mathletes Rock! What a beautiful city! It will be great to see Mt. Ranier, the sky needle, the monorail, Puget Sound, and the fish market. I am sure a lot has changed in the last 25 years, I know the King Dome is no longer there, but we took a tour as the Mariners where out-of-town on a road trip and sat in the dugout and the locker room. Good times!
I when I return home I will have some new Seattle memories that I will cherish for many years to come. Enjoy!
Fail-Safe Operator
Everyone needs a backup plan including the SQL Server notifications. If something goes awry with the notifications or the msdb database is unreachable, then the fail-safe operator will ensure that mail is delivered.
Select properties on the SQL Server agent (from the object explorer) in order to enable it for your instance. Enjoy!
Beginning OpNet Monitoring
Today’s blog will be brief as I am in the middle of a weeklong process of learning the OpNet AppInternals xPert Monitoring and Transaction Trace Warehouse. I am excited to see how well this tool can interact with our SQL Servers as well as Oracle servers, dotNet application servers, and our Java based enterprise content management system.
We are in the configuration side today with the rest of the week set for troubleshooting various issues we have in our production environment. I will keep you posted as I learn this product. So far, it seems pretty powerful. Enjoy!
SQL Swampland 