If you have access to both a CTP3 instance and a CTP1 instance, and the CTP3 instance can see the CTP1 instance, you can run all of these queries simply by creating a linked server on the CTP3 instance that references the CTP1 instance (and be sure to run in the context of master). I named this linked server ''OlderCTP'' so you will see that ...

If you're not OCD about prefixing every single column in a query, this is one that might bite you. Today you might have code that assumes that, because database_id is in sys.dm_exec_requests but not in sys.dm_exec_sessions, you don't need to prefix database_id in the following example:SELECT TOP (1)   s.session_id,   ...

This week we're going to look at some issues involving tempdb... Provide a tempdb per database #176241 : Eliminating TempDb By Adding Temp Filegroup to Each Database#281202 : multiple tempdb For these two requests, I am hoping that the Contained Databases feature (which I've talked about multiple times) will get to this capability in the ...

This week, after seeing a lot of the DMV enhancements made in SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1, I thought I would take a look at some dynamic management view/function requests. Page split personality Michael Zilberstein blogged on Monday about how Extended Events and the transaction log differ in the way they report page split information, and that it ...

On Friday, after Microsoft released the CTP, I talked a little bit about the changes you will see in SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1. Namely: new rowcount-related columns in sys.dm_exec_query_stats; extended functionality of the FORCESEEK query hint; a new FORCESCAN query hint; support for 15,000 partitions (to match new ...

In a previous post about changed system objects in Denali, I talked about the changes to memory-related DMVs due to underlying changes in the memory manager.  The SQLOS team has posted a great introduction to these changes, and they plan to post more details in future posts.  In the meantime, and due to a question yesterday from Tom ...

Earlier, I documented the system objects that have changed in Denali.  One that caught my eye was a slew of new columns made available through sys.databases, mostly to support a feature I also blogged about recently, contained databases.  Consider the following simple query: SELECT * FROM sys.databases; Yes, this ...

While it's still only the CTP1 timeframe, getting a glimpse of the changes in system objects can start preparing you for what's coming - especially when there are potential breaking changes, as you'll see below.  Sure, a few of these things can change (and hopefully be fixed!) as the product gets closer to release, but once you have the ...