There are some operations that we execute in SQL Server which need exclusive access to the database. For everyone who has ever attempted this, I’m sure they’ve seen an error like this at least once. There are a couple of ways to…
SQL Server Management Studio has a decent interface for viewing object dependencies, check out TechNet for those procedures. But, we all know the value of being able to run queries for the information that we need. There are two methods…
A few nights ago my wife and I were talking over dinner. We were discussing her co-worker’s behaviors regarding stress and deadlines. For the sake of this post let us call this person Jill. Jill is responsible for a work…
The end of last year I did a review on ApexSQL Restore, a tool used to attach SQL Server native backup files to a database instance. Check out the full review here if you missed it. Just last month (Aug 12th),…
Often I need to examine an execution plan from a production server. Just as often, I can’t re-run the stored procedure in that environment. There are several techniques for simulating the environment on a test server such as exporting statistics…
This past Saturday, September 6th, I had the privilege of attending SQL Saturday #320, in Raleigh, NC. It was a great day. The highlight of the event was the #sqlfamily. I had several rewarding conversations with members of our community and the…
In just a couple of hours I will be driving down to Raleigh for tomorrow’s SQLSaturday #320. It looks like a great line up with far too many great sessions scheduled to attend them all. Just a few minutes ago…
Last week I promised a post on enabling PowerShell Remoting when we discussed automating service account password updates. So, let’s break down the two methods. First we have the manual method. For this, all you need to do is remote…
I am a believer that regular rotation of passwords is an important security measure. I worked at an organization that, when they were small, would use the SQL Server database engine service account to run SQL Agent jobs and other…
The ability to script out the definitions of objects is valuable to any DBA. Most of us are intimately familiar with SQL Server Management Studio’s capabilities in this regard. Simply right-click on your object and navigate to the “Script object…