I’ve been trying hard to get more videos out the door about the SQL Server tools from Quest Software (my employer).  I’d sent a new one over to the program marketing team a while back, but it’s not showing up in the Coffee Break Bytes section like it should.  These little videos show a single feature in detail, usually taking no more than 5 minutes to watch in their entirety.

In the meanwhile, check out the excellent video series here.  And the blogs are really good too, available on the interwebs here.

Thinking about cloud computing? 

Well, there aren’t many tools out there that will make your life easier than Toad for Cloud Databases.  As is most cloud technology, this particular tool is still in beta.  But there’s no better time to help set the direction and features of a tool with as outstanding a record as Toad.  Get the details and download the beta here.

And if you like providing feedback to the development team, don’t overlook the IdeaPond where you can provide your own ideas and vote on others that are already posted.  (Currently targeted towards Oracle users, but I say let’s crash that party)!

Enjoy!

-Kevin

 Twitter @kekline

Everyone wants good data, but not everyone wants to work hard to get it

The team at Quest Software has created a new comic series where users can learn how Toad for Data Analysts will help you find, understand and report on data.  Plus, you can take part in a contest to win a free one-year license of TDA!

The first in the comic book series is posted here.  And there’s one each month.  If you contact me directly, I can help you get to the front of the line for the contest!

Join Us for 24 Hours of SQL Server Training

(with a special focus on SQL Server 2008 R2)

Did I mention that your Cohorts in Crime (that be me and Brent Ozar) are presenting?!?

The FREE 24 Hours of PASS event is bringing an exceptional lineup of SQL Server and BI experts to your computer starting at 12:00 GMT (UTC) on May 19.

Get an in-depth look at the hottest SQL Server and BI topics, including (but not limited to!) – the new SQL Server 2008 R2, with its business intelligence and data management innovations, and much more.

When does it start? 12:00 GMT (UTC):

New York: 08:00
Chicago: 07:00
San Francisco: 05:00
London: 13:00
Paris: 14:00
Moscow: 16:00
Mumbai: 17:30
Singapore: 20:00
Sydney: 22:00

The roster of phenomenal speakers features many MVPs and top-rated presenters, including Adam Machanic, Andy Leonard, Brad McGehee, Brent Ozar, Brian Knight, Chuck Heinzelman, Dean Richards, Don Kiely, Don Vilen, Donald Farmer, Glenn Berry, Greg Low, Jacob Sebastian, Jessica Moss, Kevin Cox, Kevin Kline, Louis Davidson, Maciej Pilecki, Peter Myers, Peter Ward, Rushabh Mehta, Sean McCown, Simon Sabin, Thomas Grosher.

Check out all the great SQL Server sessions you can attend for FREE. Share this information with a friend or colleague.

PASS is looking forward to having you join us all for this exceptional event. Please contact us at 24hrs@sqlpass.org with any questions.  You can also find lots of general details at http://www.sqlpass.org/24hours/2010/.

Everybody Needs Training

Everybody enjoys a little free training now and then.  I’ve got mountains of free training in the works.  Some of it is in-person and local while some are in webcast format.  Please join me as you’re able!

Tomorrow – Wednesday!

Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 12 pm (noon) MST – PASS DBA Virtual Chapter; Top 10 Administration Mistakes on SQL Server

There are a short list of mistakes that, if you know of them in advance and prepare for them, will make your life much easier.  This presentation shows you these mistakes, the “low hanging fruit” of database administration.  Once you apply the lessons learned from this session, you’ll find yourself performing at a higher level of efficiency and effectiveness than before.  Quest is sponsoring this and raffling off a copy of my book, SQL in a Nutshell, and O-M-G a KINDLE!!!  (Free, but registration required.)  And if you haven’t already done it, join PASS!

Day After Tomorrow – Thursday!

Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 11 am EST – Quest Software Pain of the Week; Understanding & Preventing SQL Injection Attacks – with Kevin Kline and K. Brian Kelley

SQL Injection attacks is the most common hacker trick used on the Web and yet, one of the easiest to prevent. Learn what they are and why you need to be concerned about them. In this webcast, I and SQL Server MVP K. Brian Kelley (blog | twitter) will demonstrate different types of SQL injection attacks. You’ll learn how to find and block them to keep your databases safe, preventing disruptions to your organization. Quest is sponsoring this as well and raffling off more goodies.  (Free, but registration required.)

Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 6 pm CST – Nashville .NET User Group; Ten Things DBAs Want .NET Developers to Know

Stereotypes abound for different types of people in the IT world. Developers think DBAs are control freaks. DBAs think developers are unruly cowboys. How do we overcome these differences? If you’re a developer, your best strategy is to manage your DBAs’ anxieties and demonstrate your competence and credibility. Attend this session to learn about 10 techniques that developers can apply to their code which will calm your DBAs’ fears and earn their admiration. Techniques include how to analyze a query plan and how to make sure your query is taking advantage of the best available indexes.  Attendance is free although registration is encouraged so we can get a good count for the food, plus there’s free pizza and a raffle at the end.  Drinks afterwards at Chilis.

Coming Soon

Mar 03, 2010 >>>FULL DAY OF FREE TRAINING!<<< – Quest Software SQL Server vConference; Troubleshooting and Performance Tuning with Kevin Kline, Brent Ozar, and Ariel Weil

Join SQL Server MVPs, Kevin Kline and Brent Ozar (blog | twitter), along with Quest Product Manager Ari Weil —all from Quest Software—as they interactively present tips and tricks to help you monitor your SQL Server environment with ease. You’ll learn how to use Dynamic Management Views (DMVs) to simplify troubleshooting and significantly enhance SQL Server performance. The day consists of eight sessions with live Q&A – a great way to get answers to your questions straight from the source. Chat live with Quest experts. Plus, you can visit the Quest booth to download helpful resources like white papers, watch demos and more.  This virtual training day is free and you can attend the sessions that fit your needs – perfect for tight budgets and busy schedules.

Mar 06, 2010 – PASS SQL Saturday, Charlotte, SC

The SQL Server Community will experience an event like no other in the Southeast region. Renowned speakers from around the world will gather in Charlotte, NC to share their knowledge on Microsoft SQL Server. This is your opportunity to meet, network with and learn from the SQL Community leading experts such as Andrew Kelly, Rick Heiges, John Welch, Brian Knight, Geoff Hiten, Andy Warren, Jessica M. Moss, Rafael Salas, Sergey Pustovit and Tim Ford. Also scheduled to present are current SQL PASS President Rushabh Mehta and former SQL PASS Presidents Wayne Snyder and Kevin Kline.

Mar 24, 2010 – PASS DBA Virtual Chapter; SQL Internals & Architecture

Apr 08, 2010 – Quest Software Pain of the Week; The Admin’s Guide to SQL Server w/ Buck Woody

Apr 12, 2010 – PASS Chapter, Houston; topic TBD

Apr 17, 2010 – PASS SQL Saturday, Chicago; Keynoting w/ Brent Ozar

May 13, 2010 – Quest Software Pain of the Week; SQL Server for the Oracle DBA w/ Buck Woody

May 13, 2010 – PASS Chapter, Louisville; topic TBD

May 15, 2010 – PASS SQL Saturday, Louisville; topic TBD

May 22, 2010 – Indy Tech Fest; SQL Internals & Architecture

• Andy Leonard (blog here)
• Andy Warren (blog here)
• Brian Knight (blog here)
• Buck Woody (blog here)
• Chad Miller (blog here)
• Joe Celco (blog here)
• Joe Webb (blog here)
• Jonathan Kehayias (blog here)
• Kendal Van Dyke (blog here)
• Ken Simmons (blog here)

Not only do we have SQL Saturday coming up, but Andy & company put together five world class seminars the week leading up to it! Use code “KKLINE” to get a 20% discount if you register for two or more seminars!

• Oct 12 – Essential SQL Server Administration By Andy Warren
• Oct 13 – Learn BI In a Day by Brian Knight
• Oct 14 – Real World Performance Tuning by Kevin Kline
• Oct 15 – Zero to SSIS by Andy Leonard
• Oct 16 – Performance Tuning Methodology by Buck Woody

Seminars will be held at the Embassy Suites in Altamonte Springs, FL. Each seminar is $149 and includes a full lunch. Seating is limited, register today!

Attendees of my seminar will get a free copy of my book, Database Benchmarking: A Practical Approach for Oracle and SQL Server, plus other free goodies from my employer, Quest Software. As an added note of explanation, Buck’s excellent seminar centers around detecting and troubleshooting performance problems, while my seminar focuses on writing high-performance and highly scalable SQL and Transact-SQL code.  Why not sign up for both of them to get comprehensive education on the entire process of writing great code, deploying it, and monitoring it for continued excellent performance?

Finally, I’ll be speaking at user groups in the area leading up to SQL Saturday.  If you can join me at my seminar or at SQL Saturday, maybe one of these other events better fits your schedule:

• Tuesday, Oct 13, Tampa SQL Server User Group (http://www.tampasql.com)
• Wednesday, Oct 14, Orlando SQL Server User Group (http://www.opass.org)
• Friday, Oct 15, Jacksonville SQL Server User Group (http://jacksonville.sqlpass.org)

I hope to see you there!

-Kevin

Twitter @KEKline

More content at http://KevinEKline.com

The most common way to tackle this problem is implementing something called “bitemporal data”. Under this method, each row in a table includes the current valid time and the transaction time. Since two distinct time values are stored, we get the term bitemporal.

A great place to start is Adam Machanic‘s excellent article at http://www.simple-talk.com/sql/t-sql-programming/a-primer-on-managing-data-bitemporally/. In addition, I encourage you to check out Adam’s book “Expert SQL Server 2005 Development” at http://www.apress.com/book/view/9781590597293.

In addition, Dejan Sarka pointed out that you can get a very comprehensive information on supporting temporal data from a book entitled “Developing Time-Oriented Database Applications in SQL” by Richard T. Snodgrass. Mr. Snodgrass was so kind to publish the book in PDF format and make it available for free download at http://www.cs.arizona.edu/~rts/publications.html. (Note that the book is quite old now (year 1999), so the T-SQL code does not include any SQL Server 2005 or 2008 enhancements. But the basic SQL is still solid.

Cheers!

-Kevin

kekline @ twitter