Our ezines and ebooks provide the in-depth information SQL Server database administrators and developers are seeking on Microsoft's flagship database enterprise server, SQL Server and its latest release SQL Server 2005 (Yukon). With each edition, our SQL Server experts address areas you need to know about, including development, administration and management.
Utilize Analysis Services partitions and aggregations
A SearchSQLServer.com ezine
By Baya Pavliashvili
Feb. 21, 2008
Microsoft Analysis Services offers two powerful features for tuning query performance. In this SQL Server INSIDER, get familiar with two powerful features: partitions and aggregations. Improve your analytical applications with partitions to divide data into manageable chunks, and aggregations that are pre-calculated summary values MSAS uses at query execution time – rather than scanning partition files and getting summary values on the fly. Read this latest ezine article and achieve the best possible performance in MSAS with step to:
• Partition a measure group
• Build useful aggregations
• Implement MSAS wizards
• Utilize Aggregation Manager
Download SQL SERVER INSIDER issue 7
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Baya Pavliashvili is a database consultant helping his customers develop highly available and scalable applications with SQL Server and Analysis Services. Throughout his career he has managed database administrator teams and databases of terabyte caliber. Baya's primary areas of expertise are performance tuning, replication and data warehousing. He can be reached at baya@bayasqlconsulting.com.
Selecting the right SQL Server recovery model
A SearchSQLServer.com ezine
By Denny Cherry
Sept. 14, 2007
SQL Server database administrators must have a backup and recovery strategy in place and they must be certain it's the best plan for their SQL Server environment. Choosing the right recovery method is imperative for minimizing, or even preventing, data loss. In this edition of SQL Server INSIDER, expert Denny Cherry examines the backup and recovery strategies available and discusses how to make the correct decision for your SQL Server environment. Read this ezine from SearchSQLServer.com for tips on selecting the right backup method. Learn how to choose from the six main backup methods in use today:
• File-level backups
• Full backups only
• Full backups with differentials
• Full backups with transaction logs
• Full backups with differentials and transaction logs
• File group backups
Download SQL SERVER INSIDER issue 6
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Denny Cherry is a DBA and database architect managing one of the largest SQL Server installations in the world, supporting over 175 million users. Denny's primary areas of expertise are system architecture, performance tuning, replication and troubleshooting.
Designing databases for performance
A SearchSQLServer.com ezine
By Baya Pavliashvili
July 15, 2007
SQL Server database architects and administrators have many choices to make if they want their applications to perform well right from the start. To ensure successful database performance, it's important to make the good choices during the design phase, in order to avoid post deployment problems. In this edition of SQL Server INSIDER, expert Baya Pavliashvili discusses how to make database design decisions that will optimize performance. Read this ezine from SearchSQLServer.com for tips in designing a database that contains appropriate:
• Data models
• Data types
• Indexing strategies
• Code modules
• High Availability options
Download SQL SERVER INSIDER issue 5
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Baya Pavliashvili is a database consultant helping his customers develop highly available and scalable applications with SQL Server and Analysis Services. Throughout his career he has managed database administrator teams and databases of terabyte caliber. Baya's primary areas of expertise are performance tuning, replication and data warehousing. He can be reached at baya@bayasqlconsulting.com.
New security model in SQL Server 2005
A SearchSQLServer.com ezine
By Michelle Gutzait
May 15, 2007
Security at the server level is typically the responsibility of the DBA or developer, rather than an organizational initiative. With this in mind, Microsoft added a number of security features to SQL Server 2005 intended to make it an easier task.
The new security model in SQL Server 2005 defines two main security objects – principles and securables. In this edition of SQL Server Insider, expert Michelle Gutzait reviews the new security model in SQL Server 2005 and argues the importance of defined security standards and ways they should be applied, managed and controlled. Read this ezine from SearchSQLServer.com to get SQL Server security information about:
• Security configurations for SQL Server
• Surface area configurations
• Data encryption
• The strength of the new schema model and more!
Download SQL SERVER INSIDER issue 4
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Michelle Gutzait works as a senior database consultant for Itergy International, an IT consulting firm specializing in the design, implementation, security and support of Microsoft products in the enterprise. Gutzait has been involved in IT for 20 years as a developer, business analyst and database consultant. For the last 10 years, she has worked exclusively with SQL Server. Her skills include SQL Server infrastructure design, database design, performance tuning, security, high availability, VLDBs, replication, T-SQL/packages coding, and more.
Backup and recovery in SQL Server 2005
A SearchSQLServer.com ezine
By Hilary Cotter
March 20, 2007
It's essential that database administrators have a reliable backup and recovery plan for their SQL Server databases. Microsoft reports that the majority of its support calls are incidents that were preventable if DBAs had been following best practices. This ezine examines new database backup and recovery methods and also includes articles on SQL Server 2005 performance and upgrade management. In this issue, you'll find:
• New backup and recovery methods for SQL Server 2005
• Partition indexes for improved SQL Server 2005 performance
• SQL Server upgrade hurdles
Download SQL SERVER INSIDER issue 3
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Hilary Cotter has been involved in IT for more than 20 years as a Web and
database consultant. Microsoft first awarded Cotter the Microsoft SQLServer MVP
award in 2001. Cotter received his bachelor of applied science degree in
mechanical engineering from the University of Toronto and studied economics at
the University of Calgary and computer science at UC Berkley. He is the author
of a book on SQL Server transactional replication and is currently working on
books on merge replication and Microsoft search technologies.
Search Me: Using SQL Server Full-Text Search
A SearchSQLServer.com ezine
By Hilary Cotter
January 31, 2007
The full-text search built into SQL Server 2005 is a hugely powerful feature that can improve the performance of your databases. With an index that's remarkably like the only you'll find in the back of a reference book, your users can find the content they seek swiftly, by concept as well as by spelling. A search for "color" can find "colour", if you like, and the keyword "chocolate" can return results that include "cocoa." In this ezine, you'll find:
• FTS advantages
• Create a full-text catalog
• Tables using T-SQL
• Indexes using the Wizard
• XML in FTS
• Testing FTS
Download SQL SERVER INSIDER issue 2
How to build a SQL Server cluster (and keep your hair, too)
A SearchSQLServer.com ezine
By Geoff Hiten
December 14, 2006
Clusters help you run a highly available SQL Server, but setup requires a whole
bunch of steps. We walk you through the process, and help you make the right
configuration decisions before you click on Install. In this ezine, you'll find:
• Cluster basics
• Networking concerns
• Configuring storage
• Installing the cluster
• The final setup
• Live talk with Geoff (podcast)
Download SQL SERVER INSIDER issue 1
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Microsoft MVP Geoff Hiten has been working with SQL Server since 1993. Hiten has
a bachelor of science in Computer Science from the engineering department of the
University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He specializes in high availability and
high throughput transactional solutions.
Ebooks
SQL Server consolidation: Why, when and how to consolidate SQL Servers
A SearchSQLServer.com ebook
By Hilary Cotter
December 13, 2006
Chapter 1: The case for consolidation
Many SQL Server shops suffer from uncoordinated installations, wasted
hardware and licenses, lack of standards and security holes. In this
chapter we look at the causes and pitfalls of SQL Server sprawl. 20 Apr
2006
• Defining consolidation
• Causes and pitfalls of SQL Server sprawl
• How consolidation can help
• What to consolidate: Servers and storage
• Key consolidation questions to ask
Download chapter 1
Chapter 2: Planning your consolidation
You've reviewed the benefits and decided to consolidate your SQL Server
databases. But how should you approach the project? 21 Jun 2006
• Plan early
• Six steps to consolidation
• Identify candidate servers and databases
• Review version, software and hardware dependencies
• Consolidate on the 32-bit vs. 64-bit
• Consolidate on single vs. multiple instances
Download chapter 2
Chapter 3: Performing your SQL Server consolidation
You've learned the benefits of SQL Server consolidation and the necessary
steps to perform the move. Now it's time to put that wisdom into practice and design your own SQL Server consolidation. 13 Dec 2006
• Consider dependencies in your design
• Know the role of stored procedures
• Develop a test environment
• Migrate and consolidate
• Time to test
• Deploy to production
• Stabilize new environment
Download chapter 3
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Hilary Cotter has been involved in IT for more than 20 years as a Web and
database consultant. Microsoft first awarded Cotter the Microsoft SQLServer MVP
award in 2001. Cotter received his bachelor of applied science degree in
mechanical engineering from the University of Toronto and studied economics at
the University of Calgary and computer science at UC Berkley. He is the author
of a book on SQL Server transactional replication and is currently working on
books on merge replication and Microsoft search technologies.
