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Posts from ‘June, 2009’

Solutions to common T-SQL problems

Some of the moderators over at the MSDN SQL Server Forums have got together and collated a reference of solutions to common T-SQL problems.
As always, all quality resources get added to the SQL Server Resrouces area of this site.

The Definitive Introduction to SQL Server Indexes

It normally is not my style to write a blog post solely about a particular article someone else has published. Typically I just go ahead and add quality resources to the SQL Server Resources area of this site that I have either found myself or had recommended to me.
In this case however an exception must [...]

SQL Server Index Defrag Script: Update

Michelle Ufford (aka SQLFool) has released an update to her excellent index optimisation script. If you are not already using something similar to simplify your index optimisation database maintenance processes then you will find this to be extremely useful.
Check it out here: Index Defrag Script, V3.0
Michelle Ufford (aka SQLFool) has released an update to her [...]

SQL Server Challenge Update: Clues to get you started

I have received feedback from a few of you regarding the SQL Server Challenge qualification process as being perhaps a little too tricky.
So in order to get you all started I have added clues alongside each anagram.
Cavaliers Intentional Tools – (concurrency control)
Adapt Scuba Bake – (essential disaster recovery practice)
Even Jest So – (The big man [...]

The SQL Server Guru Challenge – are you “The One”?

Calling out all you SQL Server pro’s, guru’s and masters. So you think you know your SQL Server stuff pretty darn good then huh?
You’ve got some serious, in the trenches, experience under your belt and are certainly not afraid to use it.
No doubt you’ve been in quite a few tight spots before. You could keep [...]

Superb listing of free SQL Server tools

Paul Randal pointed me in the direction of an awesome resource list of FREE SQL Server tools. There is an absolute mountain of quality stuff here and I wanted to share it with you all.
Free SQL Server Tools that might make your life easier
Be sure to me know which resources you use and how you [...]

Generate a random number in SQL Server

What is the best way to efficiently generate a random number in SQL Server?
One of my favourite SQL Server authors, Michelle Ufford recently posted her method for generating a random number, in the post Random Number Generator in T-SQL. This got me thinking and I decided to do a little investigation of my own [...]

DMV Query to identify all active SQL Server Sessions

You may already be aware that I am a big advocate of the SQL Server Dynamic Management Views (DMV’s) and the benifits that they bring to the Database Administrator. They certainly came in handy with a requirement I had recently whereby I needed to identify the IP Address of a specific SQL Server Login [...]