This evening I'll be presenting a brand new session on installing and managing SQL Server 2012 with PowerShell. Here's the abstract: Windows Server 2008 introduced Server Core, the operating system without the Graphical User Interface. SQL Server 2012 is the first version of SQL Server to support Server Core. To gain the maximum efficiency from ...

I'll be presenting at the South East Michigan SQL Server User Group (SEMSSUG) tonight. The session will be Gather SQL Server Performance Data with PowerShell. We all know how important it is to keep a baseline of performance metrics that allow us to know when something is wrong and help us to track it down and fix the problem. We don't always ...

When I first learned to program, back in the fall of 1968, the first 'word' the computer I connected to said to me was 'READY'.  That summed it up neatly. The computer was ready to do work, it was just waiting for me to give it instruction. As I progressed through my knowledge of programming and my focus on providing businesses useful ...

Last weekend, as I was waiting for the start of the performance of the Cleveland Orchestra at its summer outdoor venue, Blossom Music Center, a client called with a problem. The databases on his principal production server had failed over to the mirror server, and now he couldn't connect to the principal server. After trying a couple of things ...

For the last year and a half or so I've been presenting a session on how to gather perfmon data with PowerShell. Here's a link to my blog after the 2010 Tech Ed conference that has the download scripts. These scripts include the database tables and stored procedures I use to store the data for reporting. Sometimes when I'm at client sites I'm ...

Mark Freeman (@m60freeman) posted a question on Twitter using the #sqlhelp hashtag today, asking ''Does anyone have a script to assign db_backupoperator for all databases in an instance to a login?'' I looked and didn't really have anything that fit, but felt it'd be useful to understand the SMO process to create it. Note: one glaring hole I've ...

Security is an important consideration when designing a database application. Who can get access to what data? How much damage can someone do if they get at your data? In SQL Server 2005 Microsoft implemented column-based encryption, and in SQL Server 2008 they added Transparent Data Encryption. Both solutions work well for their intended use, ...

Yesterday I delivered a session for the PASS DBA Virtual Chapter on Service Broker. In preparing for the session I was having trouble with my demo environment. Since early this year, after I upgraded my laptop to a Lenovo W510 with 10GB RAM, I've been using VM Workstation for my demo and test machines, replacing the Microsoft Virtual PC demos ...

Over time it's easy to lose track of the things you set up to get work done. As a consultant, I have to discover what's set up on a client system. In either case, it's important to know what security settings are in place to know if they're appropriate and well managed. One of the hidden gems (and potential nightmares) in SQL Server is the use ...

Another quick check I like to do when in 'discovery mode' on a client system is to see what network protocols are enabled. Those of us around in 2003 will remember well the headaches caused by the SQL Slammer virus, and know to shut down Named Pipes unless it's absolutely necessary, just as a precaution. As part of my investigation on new ...