October 19, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Join me in a webcast on indexing strategies for better queries, today at 1:00 pm central: http://ping.fm/dnXOy … [Read more...]

https://kevinekline.com/15232-2/

Filed Under: Uncategorized

DBTA: The Ebb and Flow of SQL Server Instrumentation

October 19, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Microsoft SQL Server's relational engine has offered new instrumentation that improves by light years with each new release.  The introduction of Dynamic Management Views (DMVs) in SQL Server 2005 provided a much-needed equivalent to Oracle's long-standing and capable V$ and X$ system views.  SQL Server 2008 has provided another dramatic improvement to its instrumentation with Extended Events (also known as XEvents) that promises to offer even greater opportunities to tune, trace and troubleshoot the inner workings of a SQL Server application.  All of this stands in stark contrast with the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Administration, DBTA, Opinion, SQL Server, SQLServerPedia Syndication, Trends Tagged With: , , , ,

Video: Maximize SQL Server Performance with SQL Tuning

October 14, 2010 by Leave a Comment

This presentation is a bit old, but largely still applicable.  It will help you understand Microsoft tuning techniques. It will teach tips and tricks for making queries perform better, and how to use tools to tune SQL. Posted March 27, 2007. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Challenges, Presentations, SQL Server, SQLServerPedia Syndication, Tips & Tricks, Tool Time, Transact-SQL Programming, Video Tagged With: , , , , , ,

DBTA:A Look at Upcoming Enhancements in SQL Server 2008 R2

October 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment

At a rather muted Microsoft TechEd in Los Angeles in May, the crowds were diminished and the educational content was slimmed down. In the past, SQL Server sessions were so abundant that you'd have trouble choosing which of several you might want to attend. This year, the state of the economy was reflected in many ways, including the one, or, in just a few cases, two sessions per time slot allotted SQL Server professionals. Despite the low ebb, the Microsoft SQL Server team made an exciting announcement about the upcoming availability of the SQL Server 2008 R2 CTP (Community Technology … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Administration, Databases, DBTA, Opinion, SQL Server, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: , , , ,
October 11, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I want to build an FAQ. What's your recommendation? Just a web page? Or is there some good specialized software? … [Read more...]

https://kevinekline.com/15233-2/

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Plays Well With Others – Acing the Interview

October 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment

In the past few columns, we’ve talked about how to conduct an interview and, dreadfully, how to dismiss a member of your team.  I this post I would like to discuss the whole process from the candidate’s point of view.  For the job candidate, an interview is your opportunity to showcase your talents and the strengths that you bring to an organization.  It’s also your opportunity to demonstrate the unique talents you, as a potential team member, offer.  Never forget that interviews are a form of competition, so each and every advantageous characteristic you can demonstrate to your potential … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Opinion, Professional Development, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With:

Plays Well With Others – The “Unhiring” Process

October 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment

It’s not a pleasant topic to discuss.  There are typically two general scenarios for involuntary separation – layoffs and termination.  Layoffs entail a general reduction in work force due to a need to reduce expenses.  Layoffs usually imply that those it affects were dismissed through no fault of their own and that they were otherwise good employees.  Termination, on the other hand, indicates that the employee had failed to meet the expectations of the job and was otherwise incompatible with the needs of the employer.  This is such an unpleasant topic that people manufacture lots of words to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Opinion, Professional Development, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: , , ,

Video: Interview – Part 4 SQL Server Community

October 7, 2010 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 February 04, 2008. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Interviews, Professional Development, SQLServerPedia Syndication, Video Tagged With: , ,

Beards Are More Than a Lot of Long Whiskers

October 6, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I had a lot of travel to contend with over the past couple weeks. While travel in and of itself isn't a horrible thing, long trips are very unpleasant. I miss the family to an almost debilitating degree.A lot of my friends and acquaintances say "Yeah, but you're traveling to really cool places in Europe and all over the world". True indeed. But I'd be equally lonely if I had to drive 2 hours to Chattanooga or fly 9 hours to London. It's loneliness either way, only the accents change.One of my friends asked why I'd grown out my beard. The picture at left is actually only 1/2 of the beard. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Experiences

DBTA: Is it Time for a Professional Code of Ethics for DBAs?

October 5, 2010 by 2 Comments

In my many years on the board of directors of the Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS), I frequently exhorted our members to strive for individual achievement and personal excellence. One of the best paths for many SQL Server professionals is through certification, especially if they lack years of demonstrated on-the-job experience. However, certification only paints half the picture. While it might demonstrate, at a minimum, that you passed a test (or several tests) about the database technology, it tells nothing about your standards for good conduct. [READ MORE] … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DBTA, Opinion, Professional Development, Trends Tagged With: , , ,
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