SQL Server Magazine

SQL Server Magazine http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/default.aspx?forumid=10 FuseTalk.Net (http://www.fusetalk.com) Update Available to Ola Hallengren's Database Maintenance Scripts http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=169&threadid=92269 2009-03-10 08:39 PM -07.00 Ola just sent me the following update - I just would like to let you know that I have released a new version of the maintenance solution. The new version has quite a lot of new features. Please see the release notes here. <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://blog.ola.hallengren.com/blog/_archives/2008/1/1/3440068.html#1227266">http://blog.ola.hallengren.com...1/3440068.html#1227266</a> Thanks Ola! -Kevin Kevin_Kline YourSQLDBA tool update http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=169&threadid=92268 2009-03-10 07:08 PM -07.00 Maurice Pelchat, the creator of YourSQLDBA tool, a free utility that I profiled in SQL Server Magazine, has a new update. Enjoy! -Kevin ~~~ Maurice writes: We released a new version of our product. First we found a glitch that prevent backups to be performed on SQL2008 when they were no instance of SQL2005 already installed. The problem is now corrected. We added three new procedures that help our users for database / application upgrade. Single user mode is not an option, because sometimes more than one connection are required to do the upgrade. Restricted user option is not an option either, because the application access the database using db_owner privileges. Also some other apps of services can access the database. To work around these constraints we designed a stored procedure PrepDbForUpgradeMode to put shortly the databases in single user mode with a force rollback of all connections, rename the selected databases, put the databases back in multi-user mode, and then do a backup to a specified directory. All existing programs cannot connect anymore to the database because connect strings that specify the database name are no longer valid. Dba can then give the OK for the upgrade. The person you perform the upgrade must have private and appropriate connect string setup to find the databases under their new names. If something goes wrong in the upgrade, another procedure RestoreDbAtStartOfUpgradeMode allow to bring back selected database at their state before the upgrade. A last procedure ReturnDbToNormalUseFromUpgradeMode just put database back to availability be renaming the database to their original name. We reworked the Html help Guide (same format as SQL Magazine CD). The home page have a link to the script and a release notes table. The script is embedded into the Html Help. Some more improvements are to come about the documentation, an a better English text. French documentation is also available in the same format. Kevin_Kline Can we make report just by drag and drop? http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=169&threadid=91949 2009-01-19 05:54 AM -07.00 Many Java reporting tools, especially those have some BI characteristic, often claim to end users that their products are simple to use. These reporting tool often promise that they can make a report just by drag and drop, and even allow end users to make various statistical reports follow their own inclinations. Has report development become so easily?! The fact is that programmers are still struggling against various reports. Both reporting tools and OLAP products seldom allow end users to use them directly, therefore, end users are still using Excel. For end users, making a simple Web report (with row grouping or simple cross) with these pure technical tools is ok, as they can do with the wizard and the semantic layer. However, end users can not make most complex reports by dragging and dropping the relations of data structure which they do not understood. Therefore, it is impossible for end users to make all the report with these pure technical tools. Drag and drop can only set the positions of data items, but they even can not do this very well. As current reporting tools' editing styles are commonly based on controls, and it is a general editing proposal of graphical primitive, it absolutely does not show the regularity of table. However, real successful table products like Excel are not based on controls. For summary conditions, grouping rules and operation formulas, which have to be dealt with in complex reports, drag and drop can do nothing at all. Therefore, end users have to understand the operation model of report first, and then, write abstract expressions. This is not much easier than coding. Then, is it impossible for end users to make Web reports by themselves? Yes, it is possible of course! However, they can only make those simple reports with universal reporting tools. In order to make complex industry reports, they must use reporting tools with industry characteristics. In other words, programmers must add industry experience into some technical reporting tools, and set the styles and templates of report. Then, end users only need to input parameters and indicators to make various complex reports. The degree of difficulty is determined by the functions and integration of the reporting tool. To sum up, it is not easy to make complex reports by drag and drop as others said. This post is from freezea's blog. You are welcomed cc it anywhere, and please indicate the source. If you would like to read more articles about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://freezea.blogspot.com/">my blog</a>. freezea SQL Scripting tool http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=169&threadid=91902 2009-01-09 06:34 PM -07.00 I am not sure what your question really is but you can use SMO to script any objects you wish programatically. So you can controll it at any level you want. cbintn SQL Scripting tool http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=169&threadid=91902 2009-01-09 12:05 PM -07.00 The config file does not appear to allow for multiple values per key which means I have to either choose 'all' the databases on a server or just one. I can't just choose a few databases or objects. Nor does the command line allow me to specify a config file (or anything else) which means I need to drive all my scripting from the default config file which has limited flexability. cbintn Sql scripting tool http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=169&threadid=91788 2008-12-17 12:32 PM -07.00 I just read the article on the SQLScripter tool in the November SQL Server mag. It looks interesting, but is dependant on the SQL 2005 + object model. Many years ago I wrote a set of stored procedures useing ole automation to do the same job. In short, it allows me to capture a copy of SQL scripts for all the objects in a database. It archives these copies every day for a week, every week for a month, month per quarter and quarter for the year. It has proven invaluable as a form of source control in environements where anybody and everybody updates sql objects with whatever tool strikes their fancy. It runs on SQL 7.0, 2000 and 2005, and I'm sure will work so long as SQL Server supports the ole automation procs. Dan Sweet Good resource for users of SQLIOSim http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=169&threadid=89516 2008-12-14 05:46 PM -07.00 Be sure to read me blog posts with additional information about SQLIOSIM. You can find them at: <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/ArticleID/94473/SQLIOSim.html">http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/...ID/94473/SQLIOSim.html</a> <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/ArticleID/101048/101048.html">http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/...eID/101048/101048.html</a> <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/ArticleID/96435/Understanding_SQLIOSim_Output.html">http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/...g_SQLIOSim_Output.html</a> Thanks, -Kevin Kevin_Kline SQL Editor For SQL 2005 Newbie http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=169&threadid=91272 2008-10-09 06:55 PM -07.00 I would highly recommend you browse thru the options menu in SSMS. There are tons of places to customize or configure the behavior etc. You can dock or float any of the screens as well as make them Midi or not. You can even customize to some extent what opens when you start SSMS. Suntower SQL Editor For SQL 2005 Newbie http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=169&threadid=91272 2008-10-09 05:46 PM -07.00 <blockquote>quote: <hr>Originally posted by: gunneyk Exactly what features are you missing or wish to change? You can change the keyboard shortcuts to be like QA in the Tools Options menu. I find that helps quite a bit.<hr></blockquote> I guess what I dislike is the -layout- of the program. I wish I could just open it directly to the editor and just -go-. It seems like one always has to click about a lot to get the various 'management' stuff out of the way. I just want an -editor- without trees and panes and all the other clutter. Can the screen layout be re-arranged some how? ---JC Suntower SQL Editor For SQL 2005 Newbie http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=169&threadid=91272 2008-10-03 04:15 PM -07.00 Exactly what features are you missing or wish to change? You can change the keyboard shortcuts to be like QA in the Tools Options menu. I find that helps quite a bit. Suntower