I hope you’ve had a great week!

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

SQL Server Links

• Using a UDF as a SARG. Make a hash of it! – Query optimization post.
• One Size Mostly Fits All – Thom LaRock talks fashion and general purpose database servers.
• Comparing the Performance of Different String Data Types in SQL Server 2008 R2 – An excellent walk-through by example here from Glenn Berry
• Linked Server Query Running Slow? – Here’s an account of a recent problem and it’s solution courtesy of Mike Walsh.
• Why doesn’t SQL Server use statistics and index on this computed column? – This weeks instalment from the SQL Server Customer Service and Support (CSS) Engineers.
• The Effects of Dropping a Database on the Proc Cache – Find out here with Jim McLeod.
• Bug in SQL 2008: Why you shouldn’t create large tables in the Model Database - Discussed by Jonathan Kehayias.
• SQL SERVER – View XML Query Plans in SSMS as Graphical Execution Plan – Great tip here from Pinal Dave. It’s simple but often overlooked.
• Are we there yet? – Here is a professional development/motivational piece from Janice Lee who is a relatively new blogger on the scene that has caught my attention with some great content.

SQL Server Upcoming Events

• SQLCruise - 2nd August
• UK SQL Server Usergroups
  • London - 14th July – SQL Server and Disk IO (File Groups/Files, SSD’s, Fusion-IO, In-RAM DB’s, Fragmentation)
  • Leeds - July 20th – AGI Northern Group meeting: Using geospatial data in the Microsoft world.
  • Manchester - 5th August – Introduction to the Service Broker with Anthony Brown and Creating compelling reports with SQL Server 2008.
  • 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.
• SQLBits 7 – 30th September – 2nd October – The Seven Wonders of SQL.
• Keeping up with PASS - Useful links for keeping up with all the PASS community events, collated by BradMcGehee.

Misc Technology News

• Google’s Street View ‘snoops’ on Congress members
• Solar-powered plane lands safely after 26-hour flight
• Android slurps market share from Apple, RIM, Microsoft

That’s it for this week. If I’ve missed anything that you think deserves a mention this week then be sure to let me know! Leave a comment below, send me an email or message me on Twitter(@JohnSansom).

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