Here’s your weekly roundup of SQL Server Blog Posts, News and Techie Stuff. Enjoy!

SQL Server Links

• Index Tuning Advisors – Some vendor bashing and a reminder to not treat the DTA results as gospel here from Thomas LaRock.
• New Disaster Recovery option for Peer-2-Peer (P2P) Replication in SQL 2008 – An interesting feature change to how Peer-2-Peer Replication behaves in SQL Server 2008.
• Iterators, Query Plans, and Why They Run Backwards – An intriguing look at some query plan specifics here from Paul White.
• Passing a TABLE variable into dynamic SQL – A T-SQL coding tip from Adrian Hills (@AdaTheDev)
• Vardecimal storage format and upgrade to SQL2008 RTM or SQL2008R2 – Useful knowledge, shared by the SQL Server Storage Engine Team via their blog.
• Benchmarking: Introducing SSDs (Part 3: random inserts with wait stats details) – The next instalment of Paul Randal’s excellent series on performance benchmark testing SSD’s.
• Finding SQL Agent Jobs Owned By The Wrong Person – A nice T-SQL tip for DBA’s here, courtesy of Jeremiah Peschka.
• Conor vs. Misbehaving Parameterized Queries + OPTIMIZE FOR hints – I really enjoy reading Conor Cunningham’s posts on the Query Processor but I know that some readers may find the content tough going. It’s incredibly valuable content if you can understand it.  I suggest that if you’re struggling go and read SQL Server 2008 Internals to get you started.
• Microsoft announces SQL Server Migration Assistant for MySQL – Could prove very interesting. I’d be very interested to hear from anyone who has played around with this.
• Introducing sp_CascadingDataViewer – A nifty little utility Stored Procedure here from Jamie Thomson.
• The Impact of Non-Updating Updates – Here’s this weeks second contribution from Paul White and great work once again.

SQL Server Upcoming Events

• UK SQL Server Usergroups
  • Kent – 18th August – This is a new SQL Server Usergroup.
  • Leeds - 15th September – Using XML data in SQL Server with Anthony Brown, and Martin Bell explores change management in SQL Server 2008 and Iain Kicks from Quest Software.
  • Manchester - 16th September – Agenda to be confirmed
• SQLBits 7 – 30th September – 2nd October – The Seven Wonders of SQL. Pricing
• Keeping up with PASS - Useful links for keeping up with all the PASS community events, collated by BradMcGehee.

Misc Technology News

• What’s On Your Utility Belt? – If it’s good enough for Batman right.
• How I Use My iPad for Business – So it is possible to do business on the iPad but with the number of quality games that are just a click away I think I will have to steer clear.