Policy-Based Management (PBM) was introduced with SQL Server 2008 – it’s a declarative system for ensuring the system configuration hasn’t drifted from the original configuration intent.  You can read more about Policy-Based Management in SQL Server Books Online, here . To help people get started...

Caveat: I don’t write code for a living. But I do know how to get things done, usually using brute force. SQLPS.exe is a decent environment, but sometimes I want to work in the default PowerShell environment. But if I want to work with SQL Server in the default PowerShell shell it means I need to load...

Back in SQL Server 2008 my team implemented the Central Management Server (CMS) feature. If you work as part of a DBA team and you haven’t tried it out I encourage you to do so. It’s available on all editions, even Express. In short, the CMS allows you to share entries in registered servers with other...

Last week we released an updated, almost completely revamped, System Center Operations Manager Management Pack for SQL Server 2005, 2008, and 2008 R2. You can find all the details on the download page here .

I know I shouldn’t be but when I talk to DBAs I’m amazed how much time is spent installing/configuring the product. Having worked on the SQL Setup team for the SQL Server 2005 release I have an appreciation of how complex setup is from both sides: internal development and the end user. We just launched...

As announced today on the SQL Azure blog , SQL Azure now supports Data-tier Applications which are introduced with Visual Studio 2010 and SQL Server 2008 R2. Here’s a quick tour of the feature.   Here’s what I did: Launch Visual Studio 2010 and create a new Data-tier Application project Import my...

Well folks it’s official we’re going to release SQL Server 2008 R2! The release date is set for May 2010. You can get a few more details here .

Check out this rocking video of Sanjay Nagamangalam demoing the Data-tier Application functionality within Visual Studio 2010. Sanjay is a GPM on the SQL Server team. Sanjay has sessions at SQL PASS and PDC.

Are you going to this year’s PDC? Are you still on the fence? There’s a very cool session @ PDC on the data-tier application component called “Simplifying Application Packaging and Deployment with SQL Server 2008 R2”. Yes, that’s probably one of the longest session titles ever. Omri Bahat, a PM on my...

November is shaping up to be the perfect storm of conferences. In a time when budgets are extremely tight it amazes me that we have 4 conferences to cover in November.   SQL PASS When: November 2-5, 2009 Where: Seattle, Washington Site: http://summit2009.sqlpass.org/ Sessions: 2 focused on SQL Server...

The August CTP of SQL Server 2008 R2 contains a bug in Management Studio when connected to a Control Point. You can find the details here: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sqlkjappmsmgmt/thread/03506a9b-e9b1-4d77-a3e1-28627e8f4867