Feeling a bit adventurous, I've installed the latest Longhorn Beta and then SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition on top of it. Other than the inevitable video driver issues, it's been pretty stable. One feature I do like is the "Server Manager" that pops...

Our group (the Management Platform Team) is heavily involved in the PowerShell-as-it-applies-to-SQL area. We're working on a new provider for SQL Server 2008, as I'm sure you've seen in some of the demos we've been giving at various user groups. Well...

This one is an oldie but a goodie. I don't remember who originally gave me this, but I've edited it over the years. Works on SQL Server 2000 and 2005. /* usc_DBA_Show_Lock_Types.sql Author: Unknown Purpose: Shows the various locks taken on...

Everyone is trying to figure out where technology is these days. We seem to be somewhere between alchemy and a mature industry like construction or telecommunications. we've come from single-seat cowboy shops where just a few IT people could understand...

Sure, you can get the number of processors fairly easily ffrom SQL Server. But did you know you can also get the number of actual cores as well? This little gem works with SQL Server 2005: SELECT cpu_count/hyperthread_ratio AS sockets FROM sys.dm_os_sys_info;...

First it was "cyber-". Everything had to start with "cyber". Then it was "e-", and then "i-". Now it seems to be "My". While buzzwords are great marketing tools, what is really important? First, it matters that things work. I'm on the Management Platform...

Last night I gave a presentation to the Pacific Northwest SQL User Group. I mentioned that we often think our biggest problems are lack of time, too much work, people we have to deal with or technical issues. But all of us get done only what we can, we...

I think one of the most asked and answered questions in SQL (not just SQL Server, but SQL engines in general) is "How do I find/get the data from table A to table B?" In fact, you've probably seen multiple variations of the question and the answer. I...

I was recently asked about which tables are involved in a maintenance plan in SQL Server 2005.The primary tables are: msdb.dbo.sysmaintplan_subplans msdb.dbo.sysmaintplan_log msdb.dbo.sysmaintplan_logdetail msdb.dbo.sysdbmaintplans msdb.dbo.sysdbmaintplan_jobs...

Whenever you're developing a new application that hits SQL Server, make sure you design in security from the outset. In the new releae of the Community Tehcnal Preview (CTP) for SQL Server 2008, you'll notice that there are several new improvements in...

Have you ever forgot to set the database when you ran a query, filling the master system database with your user objects? And I'll bet you used the dbo user too, didn't you? Doh! Here's a quick way to ferret those out so you can clean them up: ...

I've been with Microsoft for about a year now. It's an interesting place to work, and I've enjoyed it here. I started with the SQL Server "User Education" team, and I've written documentation for Books Online, whitepapers and other technical outlets....

I get asked a lot if it is possible to copy the Favorites from Books Online to another Favorites folder on another computer. The answer is yes! The Help Favorites are stored by default in: C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Microsoft...

With all of the content in Books Online arranged into a single table-of-contents, it’s sometimes difficult to find information that “spans” topics. For instance, if you want to find out about general security topics, you’ll find they are spread across...

It's just documentation - right? Well, there's actually a bit more to it than that. Of course, we update the content of Books Online all the time, as I've mentioned before. But we've also innovated in the way that we present and deliver the content. I...

You can get the latest crunchy SQL Server documentation goodness here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/bb428874.aspx

Books Online is available in both a "full" client installation or on the web. In the URL bar of the client you'll see a reference for each topic. If you want to send that topic to a friend who might not have Books Online install, there's a way to translate...

I've mentioned before that we update Books Online several times a year, and we're moving to do it even more often. I m very happy to announce that SQL Server 2005 Books Online Doc Refresh 4 is now part of Microsoft Update. This means that customers who...

You’re right – we don’t document as many error codes in 2K5 as we did in 2K. Some don’t apply; others aren’t encountered as often. In fact, we didn’t document all of the 2K errors either, we just had more of them because there was so much time between...

I've mentioned before that Books Online isn't just a client install, but the same content is also available on the web. In fact, it's available in two places on the web: SQL Server 2005 BOL on TechNet: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms130214...

I just found this out today. If you have Books Online installed on your system, did you know you can look at the local content in a regular old web browser? At the top of a Books Online topic, you'll see a URL bar. The URL starts with ms-help:// , which...

Did you know you can quickly locate all kinds of topics that walk you step-by-step through a lot of the common tasks in SQL Server, from backups to creating a report in Reporting Services? In the local client (DExplorer) tool, just look on the top bar...

We have a lot of content out there - a LOT. But how do you find it all? We have a great new resource that one of our team members put together. It’s a customized Windows Live search, that limits results to Books Online. Check this out, and make sure you...

"Books Online" has become an industry standard for documentation, with a really long history. Before it became so large, it used to actually be a set of books, and you could read them electronically, hence the name. But Books Online is no longer published...

SQL Server Books Online is an absolutely huge resource. With over 58,000 pages that change several times a year, it's like getting all of the books at one time that you are ever going to use from Grade-School through College. Not only that, it is used...