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News about SQL Server and the SQL Server Community
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Again, I wanted to blog about something that still does not change between 2005 and 2008. At a recent conference, there were some great questions/ideas that should make it to Connect if they haven't already.
When DB Snapshots were first introduced, one of the questions that I always heard was "Can I perform a Backup on the Snapshot?".
Well - does this mean tht you can actually perform a SQL Backup of the DB Snapshot? No - you can't do that. Can I backup the DB Snapshot file with Windows Backup? Yes, you can do that, but there is no way to "re-attach" a DB Snapshot file to a database. So why bother?
DB Snapshots are still available on a Mirrored DB. We find that many people like this feature because of the ease of setup/management, but they do not like the fact that it is still an Enterprise Edition feature.
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Over the past few years, Jean-Rene' Roy has hosted a Developers conference in the Spring in Montreal. This conference focuses on both .NET and SQL topics. This is DevTeach and SQLTeach. I have had the privilege of presenting at this conference since 2005. The content is great and the attendees ask great questions. This year, it is in Toronto this spring. If you are planning on attending, please let me know that you read my blog. Things are kicking off on May 12 with a Party with Palermo event. I will be doing sessions on Upgrading SQL, SQL Express, and Resource Governor. Fellow SQLBlogger, Paul Nielsen, will have a pre-con workshop on Design and Optimization Best Practices with SQL Server.
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After spending the past couple of weeks at the MVP Summit in Seattle and at SQL Connections in Orlando, I thought I should blog about things that do not change in 2008 (at least partially).
One of the reason s to partition your tables is to make it more managable. Although there has been some enhancements in the manner that partitions are processed when queried, there are still some conerns that need to be addressed. In SQL 2005, one of the big features announced was the ability to partition your tables into smaller segments so that it could be managed easier. In SQL 2008 this is also true as you would expect. One constraint from SQL 2005 is still there in 2008. This is the ability to reindex a partition online. This is still missing in SQL 2008. The ability to reindex a partition exists in SQL 2005. The ability to reindex online exists in SQL 2005 as well, But putting these two things together does not function in SQL 2005/2008.
I am not slamming SQL Server, but I hope the ability to reindex a partition online will be available in the next release. There are many other reasons to upgrade to SQL 2008. I was hoping that this would have been addressed.
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This past week, I was in Orlando at SQL Connections. It went well and I will blog about a few things later, but I was in for a shock when I returned my rental car on Thursday. I rented from an off-site company to get a great deal. I usually start looking for a gas station about 5-10 miles before I get to the airport, but I was distracted with other things. I rent cars all over as i travel and know that the gas stations near the airport usually charge a little more. I am always prepared for that. Most gas stations in the Orlando area are running at about $3.65 or so for regular unleaded. This particular gas station was selling it for $4.84/gallon! I know that in Europe and elsewhere, gas is around $9-10/gallon, but we are not used to that here in the US (at least not yet). With TechEd coming up, you may want to make sure that you get your gas well before you return your rental. BTW, I used Andy's tip by looking at the fuel guage to know which side the gas cap was on. ;-)
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It came up on me fast. Mainstream support ends tomorrow for SQL Server 2000. There is still a lot of SQL Server 2000 out there running. Customers still can get support with a price. As I do my speaking engagements, I always ask the audience how much SQL 2000 is still LIVE in their production environments. It is still currently over 50% from my unscientific reading of the audiences. The question that many people have asked is "Should I Upgrade Now to 2005 or wait for 2008?". While the ultimate answer is "It depends", it looks like a lot of people are still comfortable waiting for 2008. I still run into a customer with 7.0 or even an occasional 6.5 running. With the launch parties of SQL Server 2008 already going on, there are a lot of great reasons to upgrade to the 2005/2008 generation of database, but SQL Server 2000 can still get the job done in many environments even in its waning moments.
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In SQL Server 2008, you can have what is called a "Filtered Index". What does this mean?
An index may be created for a subset of rows in your table. For instance you could create a filtered index for a "state" column if the value is "CA" for California; the rest of the states would not have a value. When you create your index, simply add a WHERE clause to activate this feature.
In the state example, it probably does not make sense to have an index just for California, but there are cases where this could save a lot of space. For example, if a table had a column that for most rows had no data, a filtered index could be built on it where the column is not null.
I used FoxPro in a previous life. This was a feature available to us way back in the 90s. We used FoxPro and this feature in DOS, WfW3.11, and SCO Unix. It has been a while, but there was a time when we created an index just for this one particular customer because of the proceessing time it took. Disk space was more scarce back then and filtered indexes helped us squeeze the most out of it. I am happy to see this feature in SQL Server 2008. I have only started to play with this and expect that some limitations will pop-up.
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It seems to be that time of year. The time of year when conferences and speaking opportunities abound. I have some events coming up. If you are in the area, please drop in.
March 20 - 7pm - Triad SQl Server User Group - www.triadsql.com. I will be delivering a session entitiled BI for the Relational Guy
April 3-4 - Dublin, Ireland - http://imtc.firstport.ie. I will be delivering 2 sessions - one on Express and one on 64-bit SQL.
April 20-23 - Orlando, FL - www.sqlconnections.com. I have 3 sessions at this conference located near the happiest place on earth.
May 12-16 - Toronto - www.sqlteach.com. I have 3 sessions at this conference that will be in Toronto for the first time in the spring!
One thing that is prevalent is that SQL 2005 content is the norm. SQL 2000 content is pretty much gone which is understandable. The only content that is related to 2000 has to do with DTS to SSIS conversion. Even though SQL 2008 is now officially launched (we had the party), many folks are still on SQL 2000 and are deciding on whether to move up to SQL 2005 now or wait for SQL 2008.
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It's Official, today!
We have a party for SQL Server 2008 in LA! The product may not be shipping, but that won't stop us from having our party.
Seriously, Today marks the beginning of a more useful Launch than the 2005 launch. What am I saying? The Launch Events will probably be more educational for you this time around because there hasn't been as much focus on having a lot of events on 2008 as of yet. Signup today for a launch event near you!
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In the latest PASS Community Connector, there is a call for Speakers for this year's summit in Seattle in November. If you have never been to Seattle in November, it really makes you want to learn more about SQL Server in the breakout sessions. ;-) But seriously, it is a great venue to meet other SQL Server professionals and meet the MSFT who actually write the code for SQL Server itself. You know that since MSFT is located in nearby Redmond that the place will be very accessible to MSFT developers and managers.
Also, did you know that the abstracts that are submitted are reviewed/selected by a committee of PASS Volunteers just like you?
Join other industry professionals and help build the SQL Server community as a 2008 PASS Community Summit speaker in Seattle, Washington, November 18-21. Act now and submit an abstract by the March 28th Deadline.
All speakers receive:
- Complimentary registration to the 2008 PASS Community Summit
- Industry recognition
- Networking opportunities with thousands of attendees
Microsoft employees are encouraged to submit presentations using the online submission website. Please note that any Microsoft submissions will be reviewed and abstract status will be determined by Microsoft.
For more information, please visit our Call To Speakers website at http://calltospeakers.sqlpass.org/ or e-mail any questions to calltospeakers@sqlpass.org.
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3 weeks from today, the launch party for SQl Serve 2008 will be on! If you are in Southern California, you will be in the "happening" spot. Enjoy!
Why have a launch without the release of the product? SQL Server 2008 is more of an incremental release. There are some great new features in the product, but the bulk of the change was going from 2000 to 2005. From my point of view, there were many more events and opportunities for education on SQl Server 2005 than 2008. I was at the Launch of SQL Server 2005 in San Francisco. It was a great time, but the content at the launch was not new (at least to me). The content at the launch events over the next few months will most likely be more useful than the content at the 2005 events. If you are like many folks who still have 2000 in your environment and have some servers running 2005, these launch events will be useful. If you haven't seen it already, there will be opportunities in your area to sign-up for a launch event. Another great source of information on SQL Server 2008 will be the local user groups across the nation and worldwide that will be involved in launches.
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On Jan. 24, there is a FREE virtual conference focused on SQL Server 2008. This is not just a webcast that you can view online. The sessions are scheduled at specific times with Live Q&A following the session from the speakers. Grab one of your SQL buddies and sign-up to attend virtually on Jan. 24!
Register Here: http://events.unisfair.com/index.jsp?eid=157&seid=291&code=sqlevents
Drop by the Virtual PASS Booth and say Hello!
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In case you have not heard yet.......
SQL Server 2008 CTP5 Beta Now Available for Free in a Secure Hosted Environment!
PASS, MaximumASP, Dell and Intel have partnered to offer this advance preview...
Try out real-world data online in a secure, hosted environment - you don't have to download or install a thing - and your feedback will influence the final version!
Get started today at www.sqlserverbeta.com and discover the powerful functionality of the latest version of SQL Server 2008 including:
- Reporting Services
- Language Integrated Query (LINQ)
- Predictable Query Performance
- Transparent Data Encryption
- Integrated Full Text Search
- Sparse Columns
- Spatial Data Types
- Grouping Sets
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The old Hardware Compatibility List which was renamed the "Windows Catalog" is no more. When creating a Clustered Solution, you need to have a system that is Certified for clustering or there will be no official support. This has been a point of pain in the past as organizations purchased a clustered solution and then one of the nodes has issues after a year or two. Getting an exact replica of that node is often impossible and impractical. Try explaining to the big wigs that you need to purchase a new system that is 2 years old - not very compelling.
In Windows 2008 and SQL 2008, there is no need for a certified solution. There is a program called clusprep.exe that you run on the nodes of the proposed cluster to test/prepare the nodes. If your system passes, it can run on a cluster.
One drawback of this is that when failing over to a node of lesser "girth", the user experience may suffer. Also, with this change, the base of clustering is changing which means that your upgrade to the 2008 flavor will take some more planning.
If you attended the PASS Community Summit in Denver, you can view the streaming session online on Clustering. It was very educational.
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I started the Triad SQL Server User Group with several other folks back in 2002. I led the chapter for 2 years before turning the reigns over to a Board of Directors. I have only been to one or two meetings since the turnover mainly because I have been out of town when they have meetings. But last night, I was in town and the Holiday Social was just 2 miles away from my house at a local drinking/dining establishment.
It was good to see the Board of Directors and meet some of the regulars who now attend. I was so happy to see that the group has really grown over the past few years in its sophistication, marketing, and breadth of topics. I wanted to acknowledge and praise the team that is now the Board of Directors - Miguel Cebollero, Michael Wharton, and Karen Lennon.
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