The partitioned table was one of the great new features of SQL Server 2005. We could now manage data based on some range data, usually a date value, and keep the different ranges in separate physical files, and use rolling range scripts to move old data out of the table and create new partitions for new data and incorporate those new ranges into ...

We all know them, they're usually developers or network admins who show some abilities when database problems arise, so they're ''elected'' to the role of DBA, whether they want it or not. They often don't have the necessary training or insight into the issues inherent to managing enterprise database systems, but they've got the job. What tools ...

When SQL Server Agent runs its tasks it normally does so using the context of the service account you assigned to the Agent service. This may or may not be the best context for your application, so you can set up a Proxy. This allows you to run the task under the context of the account you set up in the proxy, and it's pretty easy to do. First, ...

Matthias Berndt, Principal Group Program Manager at Microsoft, has just blogged about the new approach for Service Packs and Cumulative Updates. He shared this with us at the MVP Summit and it's nice to have it public now. A Changed Approach to Service Packs Thanks, Matthias Allen

Last week I presented a session on Using SMO to Manage SQL Server at SQL Connections in Orlando, Florida. This was the third major conference I've presented this session, and each time I do this session I change more demos from VB.Net to PowerShell. This time it was the demo to create a new database. The big thing about my demos is that I want ...

The most important lesson I learned in flight training was in managing priorities: 1. Aviate 2. Navigate 3. Communicate First, keep the plane flying straight and level. Second, keep it going on the intended flight path (and avoid any other objects in the area). Third, communicate your intentions, needs, etc. with the proper services, be they ...

Last week I posted about using PowerShell and SQL Server together, and I used a SQLDataAdapter and populated a DataTable with the results. This approach is fine if what you're doing returns a reasonably small resultset, but what if you're returning millions of rows. In this case a DataTable isn't too practical, and a forward-only DataReader is ...

I've mentioned before my company manages trade shows, and we've got a series of web sites managed by an application which uses a different SQL Server database for each site, with a master database (I'll call it Global, to differentiate it from SQL Server's master database). Well, we have a number of shows which have multiple show locations, and ...

I've got a third-party app that uses a SQL Server 2005 database. The database has grown to 190GB, with 150GB of that in one table (116M rows). I've been trying to get the greenlight to partition this table since June, and finally got it this weekend. I wasn't able to start my process until Friday at noon, and had space on my backup drive to ...

The weekend of September 29/30 we moved our Data Center from one suburb of Cleveland to another. As you install new servers or replace others it's normal to make certain everything is right before you bring them on line. A data center move is another animal altogether. We have three High Availability clusters in our shop, and they've been ...