Microsoft announced a set of broad-reaching changes to its technology and business practices to increase the openness of its products and drive greater interoperability, opportunity and choice for developers, partners, customers and competitors.
Specifically, Microsoft is implementing four new interoperability principles and corresponding actions across its high-volume business products:
- ensuring open connections;
- promoting data portability;
- enhancing support for industry standards; and
- fostering more open engagement with customers and the industry, including open source communities.
A must read - for complete details refer to http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/feb08/02-21ExpandInteroperabilityPR.mspx
Most awaited tool for SQL Server DBA and experts (heard of ReadTrace!). Till sometime back these tools were only accessible to Microsoft SQL Server support team.
The RML Utilities for SQL Server provide you a set of tools and processes to answer these questions and much more. The RML utilities allow you to process SQL Server trace files and view reports showing how SQL Server is performing.
With the RML Utilities you can answer questions such as the following:
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Which application, database or login is consuming the most resources, and which queries are responsible for that.
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Whether there were any plans changes for a batch during the time when trace was captured and how each of those plans performed.
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What queries are running slower in today's data as compared to a previous set of data?
Most important these tools can help you on:
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Testing how the system will behave with some change (different service pack or hot fix build, changing a stored procedure or function, modifying or adding indexes, and so forth) by using the provided tools to replay the trace files against another instance of SQL Server. If you capture trace during this replay you can use the tools to directly compare to the original baseline capture.
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Simulating application testing where using the real application is impractical or impossible.
For example, it may be difficult to generate the same user load in the test environment as you see in production.
This release of the utilities supersedes the previous version, as described in KB articleThis release supports SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2000 trace file formats and should be used any time you have SQL Server 2005 in your environment. This release contains important bug fixes, new features and performance enhancements over the prior release.
For complete details refer to Quick Start section on the help file of tool (Start | Programs | RML Utilities for SQL Server and selecting RML Help.xps).
Download links:
· RML Utilities for SQL Server (x86)
· RML Utilities for SQL Server (x64)
Enjoy working with RML Utilities and other tools like SQLDiag, PSSDiag, SQLNexus !
First one in "Watch Out: Portfolio Server 2007"
Portfolio Server 2007 has no check for special characters in Project Name.
All the functionality of PPS 2007 works fine till the time we hit and try to synchronize a project with a special character in it.
Like it or not! – Project Server 2007 has validation checks and do not allow below special characters in project name.
§ Project name should be less than 200 characters
§ . (period)
§ \
§ "
§ /
§ :
§ ;
§ |
§ ?
§ '
§ <
§ >
§ *
§ #
So all PPS 2007 admin – get ready for some proactive stuff; train the users for not using special characters in project name in PPS
How do we find the projects already created with special character?
Below SQL can help (not the best / optimized SQL but will do the job).
SELECT * FROM sfSTRUCTURE_ENTRIES
WHERE (NAME LIKE '%.%')
OR (NAME LIKE '%\%')
OR (NAME LIKE '%"%')
OR (NAME LIKE '%/%')
OR (NAME LIKE '%:%')
OR (NAME LIKE '%;%')
OR (NAME LIKE '%|%')
OR (NAME LIKE '%?%')
OR (NAME LIKE '%''%')
OR (NAME LIKE '%<%')
OR (NAME LIKE '%>%')
OR (NAME LIKE '%*%')
OR (NAME LIKE '%#%')
OR (NAME LIKE '"%')
OR (NAME LIKE '%"')
OR (NAME LIKE '''%')
OR (NAME LIKE '%''')
Run this SQL on the PPS database.
Obvious questions – Should we add a trigger to perform the validation.
Well – from PSS support policy perspective answer is NO.
As an simple alternate – create a simple report and deploy the same to the Reporting Service instance of PPS. Subscribe to report .. Take manual action of requesting users to extend help.
I am back after a long break. Spending lot of time travelling and working on complex project using SQL Server, EPM 2007 and adding credits for Enterprise Architecture (TOGAF !)
In addition to normal stuff I would start couple of series:
a. Watch Out - Portfolio Server 2007 – to provide some of the common mistakes and watch out items for Portfolio Server 2007 implementation and configuration
b. Get ready for SQL Server 2008 – to provide technical contents for SQL Server 2008
Finally the much awaited missing link between EPM 2007 and Visual Studio Team Foundation Server is released to technical community.
Latest release of Visual Studio Team Foundation Server – Project Server 2007 Connector which is available at http://www.codeplex.com/pstfsconnector/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=4887
The Visual Studio Team Foundation Server - Project Server 2007 Connector is designed to integrate the project management capabilities of TFS with Project Server 2007. It's been developed by the Visual Studio Team System Rangers in response to significant customer demand for a connector solution. Future versions of Team System will have native integration with Project Server, in the meantime this Connector solution is the best way to integrate the two Microsoft products. This solution builds on the previous PS2003 VSTS Connector, published on GotDotNet. This solution is intended to provide guidance, provided as source code that can be used "as is," extended, or modified.
For Project Link: http://www.codeplex.com/pstfsconnector/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=4887
For Setup Guide: http://www.codeplex.com/pstfsconnector/Wiki/View.aspx?title=Setup%20Guide&referringTitle=Home
EPM 2007 provides "Project Server Gateway" for mapping the data between Portfolio Server 2007 and Project Server 2007.
One of the common query that I have noticed is 'why attribute from project server is not gettign listed for mapping?.
Well key lies in the type mapping followed by the gateway:
Custom fields are mapped based on their type following the above table:
|
PS project custom field types |
PPS attribute types |
|
Text |
String |
|
Text with lookup table |
List |
|
Text with lookup table + “Allow multiple values to be selected from lookup table” option checked |
Multiple Text |
|
Cost, Cost with Lookup Table
Number, Number with Lookup Table |
Number |
|
Date, Date with Lookup Table |
Date |
Note:
Export to PS or import from PS deletes existing value and updates it with the new one.
This is why for PPS attributes mapped on Lookup Table custom fields, if the value that has to be updated doesn’t exist on the Lookup Table or List instances, the result will be Blank
From official support perspective running multiple instances of Portfolio Server 2007 on single server is not a supported scenario. Even the setup program for the tool has no way to achieve the same.
But from development and testing perspective sometimes it is more than handy to run multiple instance on same server (especially when you want the instance to have same set of configuration / customization).
Follow the small tricks below to achieve the same:
-
Copy the PPS 2007 ASP.NET application folder manually and publish that as a separate virtual directory or web site.
-
Copy the 'PPSAccountIndex ' and 'PPSAccountData' database (or use SQL backup / restore options)
-
In the newly created 'PPSAccountIndex' database update the database name of newly created 'PPSAccountdata' database
-
Modify the config files on the newly created virtual folder to point to new folder paths and new database.
-
Ensure only one copy of the Scheduler service is running on one physical machine, and additional PPS instances should be added in the principal (and only) scheduler config file.
Warning -
Please check the licensing requirement with local licensing expert and this is not an supported scenario.
One of the common query that I have seen is how to synchronize the schedule information between Project Server and Portfolio Server.
Ideally once you setup and Project Server Gateway and export the project to Project Server 2007 - things should work seamless. Indeed it does with small catch that sometime you might notice that "% Complete" is not updated after synchronization.
Solution is to ensure that in the current workflow stage you have the "Lock Business Case ( Post-approval) check box checked.
One of the common ask - how can we sort the list of values displayed in the Portfolio Server 2007 attribute.
Well - This is kind of common feature but currently product does not support any such feature. Easiest way - Sort the list values in Microsoft Excel and add the value list in the sorted order in Portfolio Server 2007 attribute
One of the most important event for EPM community is around the corner. The session list for the Project 2007 Conference has been posted to the http://www.msprojectconference.com site.
Adding another series to my blog list - EPM 2007.
I would be posting tips and tricks, announcements and technical content on Project Server 2007 and Portfolio Server 2007.
Microsoft has finally launched the public version of "Microsoft Certified Architect : Database" certification.
The Database Architect program, the newest Technology Architect program under the Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA) umbrella, provides training and certification in Microsoft SQL Server to help you become a trusted database architect. The program ensures success in three ways.
Refer to http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/architect/database/default.mspx for complete details.
My personal experience from the successful attempt for the same during BETA - Certification is real tough but worth the effort (costly but .. worth again !). Best part is we get to work and interact with best brains around on SQL Server across the world - an experience in itself.
Latest addition to the best practice series. I highly recommend the same for DBA and architects !
SQL Server 2005 Predeployment I/O best practices http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/bestpractice/pdpliobp.mspx
