Archive for December 14th, 2009

Like PowerShell for SQL Server?

Monday, December 14th, 2009

Check out my new Tool Time column in this month’s SQL Server Magazine. It features some great new PowerShell scripts and information from Chad Miller (blog) who I had the pleasure to meet in person back in October of this year while speaking at the SQL Server of central Florida and at SQL Saturday #21.

In addition, I’d like to point out a free utility called PowerGUI.  If you’re like me, the last thing you have time for is learning a new code like PowerShell.  So I copped out and got the next best alternative to real code, the fancy and pretty drag-n-drop interface of PowerGUI.  (Full disclosure: PowerGUI is made by Quest Software, my employer, but by an unrelated business unit.)  Notice that the hyperlink is to a .ORG website.  That’s because PowerGUI is not only free, it’s also community-supported.  There are tons of free scripts for all sorts of Windows-related technologies like Exchange, Active Directory, and of course SQL Server.  Give a look and let me know what you think of it.

Thanks,

-Kev

Twitter @KEKline

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Posted in SQLServerPedia Syndication, Tool Time | 1 Comment »

Data Deduplication Technology – New Article on DBTA

Monday, December 14th, 2009

I’ve been seeing more and more questions from customers about data deduplication technologies. I guess that’s because I can’t open a blog, website, or email related to technology without some vendor or another pushing the wonders of data deduplication.  Consequently, I thought I’d take a few minutes to describe what the technology is all about.  I’ll sum up my thoughts on the the value of deduplication technology by saying “It depends”.  Read my article entry at Database Trends & Applications magazine here.

If someone in your company is pushing you to examine this very expensive technology, please give my article a gander and let me know what you think.  I also encourage you to take a look at Brent Ozar’s excellent post on the topic located here.  Remember that when in the right hands, as with all technologies, they can be used to solve tricky business problems.  But in the wrong hands, they may be a square peg pounded into a round hole … or even worse.

Feedback always welcome!

-Kevin

Twitter @kekline

Posted in Administration, Hardware, IO, SQLServerPedia Syndication | 1 Comment »