Wednesday Quest: On-Line Demos for Toad Data Analyst and Benchmark Factory

February 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment

If you've attended any of my public sessions about SQL Server technology, then you might remember that I extend a standing offer to provide a free, long-term license to any of several products from Quest Software, such as Toad for SQL Server (including the SQL Optimizer), Toad Data Analyst, Toad Data Modeler, and the awesome performance and scalability testing tool Benchmark Factory. If you've ever wondered about these tools and why I tout them, why don't you take a couple minutes to look at the on-line demos available at each of the preceding links?  If you like what you see, drop me a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Administration, Cool Technologies, IO, Performance, SQL Server, Tool Time Tagged With: , , ,

Adventures in the Land of CloudDB/NoSQL/NoAcid

February 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Last year, some of my friends from Quest Software attended Hadoop World in New York. In 2009, I never would've guessed that Quest would be there with products, community initiatives, as a major sponsor and with presenters? There were just under 1,000 attendees who weren’t the typical devheads and geekasaurs you'd normally see at very techie events like Code Camps, SQL Saturdays, Cloud Camps and or even other NoSQL events such as the Cassandra Summit. We're talkin' enterprise customers with active Hadoop projects underway. Some observations from the show that may be of interest to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: BigData, Cloud, Conferences, Cool Technologies, Databases, NoSQL, Opinion, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication, Strategies, TCD blog post, Trends Tagged With: , , , ,

Database Maintenance Scripting Done Right

February 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I first wrote about useful database maintenance scripts on my SQLBlog account way back in 2008.  Hmmm - now that I think about it, I first wrote about my own useful database maintenance scripts in a journal called SQL Server Professional back in the mid-1990's on SQL Server v6.5 or some such.  But I digress... Anyway, I pointed out a couple useful sites where you could get some good scripts that would take care of preventative maintenance on your SQL Server, such as index defragmentation, updating statistics, and so forth.  One of the script kits came directly from Microsoft's internal … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Administration, Challenges, Databases, On-Line Resources, Performance, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication, Tool Time Tagged With: , , , ,

Have You Heard About Project Lucy?

February 16, 2011 by 1 Comment

Quest Software's latest community initiative, Windows Azure-based Project Lucy, has debuted! Project Lucy is part infrastructure analytics, part social media experiment, and part performance data warehouse. The best things about Project Lucy include: It’s Free - just like our SQLServerPedia website, Project Lucy is free to anyone who wants to upload a trace file It’s 1oo% web-based - you don’t have to download or maintain anything and updates roll out seamlessly, all the time It really helps - just generate a SQL Trace on a SQL Server 2000, 2005 or 2008 instance, upload it on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cloud, Cool Technologies, Databases, On-Line Resources, Performance, SQL Server, Tips & Tricks, Tool Time Tagged With: , , , , , ,

What’s Up With Discovery Wizard for SQL Server?

February 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

First, the Good News I really like the free SQL Server utility from Quest Software, nicknamed "Disco", that enables you to discover and inventory all versions and editions of Microsoft SQL Server from the mid-1990's onward.  You can see what it does at http://questkb.com/category/sqlserver/discovery-wizard/. I've had a lot of customers who have faced the challenge of bringing an unwieldy and chaotically growing SQL Server infrastructure  to heel.  It can be really daunting in a big enterprise trying to find all of the SQL Servers tucked behind third-party applications, Microsoft … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Challenges, SQL Server, Tips & Tricks, Tool Time Tagged With: , , ,

Back in Atlanta! Wed, Feb 9 2011

February 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I always enjoy spending time with my friends from Atlanta, as well as meeting folks and making new friends. If you live in the Atlanta area, I hope you'll join me on the evening of Wednesday, February 9th, 2011.  Details are at the Atlanta SQL Server user group website. It's common knowledge that I have a terrible memory for many things.  However, one of the few things that my memory is usually really good at is remember names & faces (and remembering stories, but that is another story as well). It's only in the last couple years that I've gotten to know Atlanta-area folks like Aaron … [Read more...]

Filed Under: PASS, Presentations, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: , , , , ,

Education and Career Resources from Microsoft and the Community

January 28, 2011 by 1 Comment

Sometimes I'm timely in getting the news out on useful resources.  And, other times, I'm a bit slower on the draw.  As I told friends back at New Year's Day, "As an official member of the Procrastinators Club, welcome to 2008!"  On the other hand, it's always good to remind folks of great resources that are still available and on the shelf.  Why?  Well, the Internet hits us with such a deluge of constantly new material, that we often forget about the old(ish) stuff that's still really useful. Quest vConference for SQL Server One of the most popular teaching sessions I ever engaged … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Administration, Databases, On-Line Resources, PASS, Presentations, Professional Development, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication, TCD blog post, Tips & Tricks, Video Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Azure, a Beautiful Color, and So Much More…

January 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Windows and SQL Azure Resources Cloud computing is more than just the latest buzz word in the IT trade papers.  It is a remarkable paradigm shift with as much potential to "turn over the apple cart" of IT computing as client-server had for the world of mainframe and minicomputers.  If you're not spending time to learn about cloud computing, in general, and SQL Azure, in particular, then you're missing the boat in a big way.  (Ha! Two big metaphors in one afternoon. My high-school English teacher would be proud.) There are mountains, literally MOUNTAINS, of free and high-quality content … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cloud, Cool Technologies, Databases, On-Line Resources, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication, TCD blog post, Tool Time, Video Tagged With: , , , , ,

Video: Magic Formula for SQL Query Tuning

January 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Featuring Kevin Kline this video focuses on accelerated Disk Optimization and improved productivity with SQL Query Tuning. Posted December 18, 2006. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: IO, Performance, Presentations, SQL Server, SQLServerPedia Syndication, Tips & Tricks, Video Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Video: Interview – Part 3 Cross-Platform Issues

January 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Heather Eichman interviews Kevin Kline, the former President of PASS and systems specialist for the SQL Server Business Unit at Quest Software. Posted January 31, 2008. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Challenges, Cool Technologies, Databases, Interviews, Opinion, SQL Server, SQLServerPedia Syndication, Strategies, Video Tagged With: , , ,
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