When you run a query in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), by default the results are sent to a grid. You can select the rows in this grid by clicking and dragging on the rows themselves and copy them to the clipboard with CTRL-C or using a right-click...

I'm working on a Policy that will expose a particularly thorny issue. In SQL Server 2008, you can use a new feature called Transparent Data Encryption (TDE). This feature encrypts the entire database, so you don't have to change your application at all...

Many of us use SQL Server in a virtual environment, but as you know it's been difficult to find out what the support policy is for that, depending on the Virtual Environment. Well, for Hyper-V, there's no question: It has support. To find out exactly...

In a post back on the 6th of August I was pondering a bit about showing data relationships, such as permissions maps and so on. I mentioned that you almost need a 3-D interface for that. Well, a sharp reader, Marc Smith, read that post and pointed me...

We've completed the work on the Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) "Management Pack" for SQL Server 2008. MOM allows you to monitor and manage Microsoft and even other vendor's servers, so if you have this software in your shop you can download...

It's Friday - time for the quote of the day. I've met some folks in my life that can get results, but at a great cost to everyone else. So the quote for today is: Any ship can be a minesweeper... once. Admiral Hornblower

I thought you might be interested in a few statistics about the latest release of SQL Server 2008. We still refer to our products with the code names, so you'll still hear us refer to 2K8 as "Katmai". Every day we used over 4000 lab machines to...

OK - I got even more questions about the Visual Studio SP1/SQL Server 2008 installation that I mentioned yesterday. To help clear that up, I'll just point you to a great rundown on the entire situation: http://blogs.msdn.com/psssql/archive/2008/08/11...

There have been some questions from folks who have pre-released versions of Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1. SQL Server 2008 requires the RTM version, so if you have the pre-released version, you can go here to update it:  http://www.microsoft...

The team here discovered something that I thought we should share. I'll get a Knowledge Base (KB) article out soon so that you have something more "official", but I wanted to get this out as soon as I could. A user wrote us and said that when...

It's Friday - and today's quote of the day is about freedom and what it means: Freedom is nothing else other than a chance to be better. Albert Camus

One of the hottest items at the U.S, TechEd 2008 conference was the set of official U.S. postage stamps that have the new SQL Server 2008 logo on them. If you weren't there to get yours, you can now order some, for a limited time. Here's the link, along...

Did you know there is a full IE browser inside SQL Server Management Studio? Just click on "View", then "Other Windows" then "Web Browser". I use this to hit a server that has a report of various server's status.

SQL Server 2008 Express (basic) and  SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP1 are now live on the Microsoft Download Center. The English link for SQL Server 2008 Express (basic) is: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=58CE885D-508B-45C8-9FD3...

If you're installing SQL Server 2008, you'll get a panel near the end of the installation process that asks you if we can collect data on how you use the product. Check those boxes! I was with someone one time during their installation, and when that...

Need to find out what's new in SQL Server 2008 for the DBA, even before you install it? We have a free on-line lab you can register for that will get you started quickly: http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032358030&EventCategory...

As I mentioned yesterday, we've shipped SQL Server 2008. I highly recommend you get it and install it on your testing machines right away. But before you do anything on your production systems, make sure you check out this free webcast: http://msevents...

You can find it on MSDN Subscriber Downloads and TechNet Subscriber Downloads . Either search for SQL Server 2008 or navigate under Servers then to SQL Server 2008. http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/downloads/default.aspx http://technet...

As I've mentioned, I'm a big fan of scripting. It's normally faster for me to type than to click. But there are times that it is difficult to do some operations in script - they are just easier in a graphical interface. One of those places is showing...

We often get asked if we will ever create a tool that will manage not only SQL Server but other vendor's systems. I understand the desire - when I was a DBA I had several systems that I managed, and I wanted a tool that would do it all as well. I even...

I gave a presentation at TechEd 2008 where I covered our new features in "A Day in the Life of a DBA". Here's more of what I showed for midnight - "Eine kleine Nachtmusik ": I've shown you lots of new features that save you precious time at the office...

It's Friday - and time for this week's quote: If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first four sharpening my axe. Abraham Lincoln