The SSWUG SQL Server Virtual Conference starts Tuesday
Register here – All about getting started with SQL Server – technical sessions, how-to information and other goodies for real-world people that work with databases. TSQL 101, Backups, Restores, Database Options, Replication Basics… All sorts of great information. Also, our special report on 21 great SQL Server tips, backup and recovery planning outline update and a whole lot more. Hope to see you there (we even have group discounts for 2 or more people!)
Featured Article(s)
Tips for using SQL Server 2005 file and filegroups
Here are some helpful tips to performance tune and optimize SQL Server 2005 by using file and filegroups.
Great Resource – Get Your Copy
Many times here in the editorials, in tech presentations and other places, I’ve talked about CoDe Magazine and their great series of articles. They have a lot of really great technical information and some solid series-type articles with one of my favorites, their "Baker’s Dozen" articles. If you’ve read the magazine and might be looking to get your own, they’ve put together a great deal – you can subscribe AND get a copy of Pro VS 2005 Reporting using SQL Server and Crystal Reports. Great offer, amazing price – check it out here and get signed up – it’s an outstanding combination of resources.
Do You Belong To A Local User Group?
If so, we’d like to hear from you. We have some really cool things coming your way – from materials for meetings to pizza for your meetings and other goodies. We’ll have some great announcements soon on some new programs for the local in-person groups – but we need to know who you are! So, please – drop me a note – and let me know if you belong to or run a local user group (any other affiliations don’t matter BTW). We’ll get you on the list and get information to you on some outstanding new resources for you. Drop me an email here and we’ll get things rolling! Let me know where you’re located, about how many members you have and when you meet, that’s it. We’ll get together the rest.
Initial Feedback on Best Practices Review
Well, the initial emails on this have been pretty unanimous – review of best practices after the initial implementation are pretty much not happening.
I get it – it makes sense. You take the time to put out your guidelines, set your systems up and get things going like you need and then, well, why fix it if it ain’t broke?
Very true, but I think it’s really important to revisit best practices – whether you call them that or guidelines or standards or whatever they may be named at your company. I’ve seen so many people that have done an initial "I just started my job and want to make a difference" set of guidelines, only to get caught up in the daily grind after that… and never revisit or review things that are setup.
I’d suggest you set up a recurring entry on your calendar. I can hear the groans now – "geez, just what we need another recurring task that I have to keep track of, schedule around, blah, blah, blah." Sure, but I suggest you only do this yearly. Not too frequent to be painful, but frequent enough that you can catch new approaches. Things to monitor:
– Security checks and hack prevention approaches
– Backup and, most importantly, recovery models
– Configuration checks and updates
– Tuning and performance updates and checks
– General best practices
This will get you started on a very broad basis – then you can dive into things you find in the overall categories, applying techniques and ideas that make sense.
How do you find these best practices? More tomorrow…
Featured White Paper(s)
Troubleshooting SQL 2005 – Opening a Database Administrator’s Toolbox
This white paper guides you through troubleshooting using some of SQL 2005’s built-in features to diagnose issues with your d… (read more)
Bust a Move With Your SSIS – Passing Package Variables
Explore the creation of sample development data using one of the most basic features in this new interface. Integration Serv… (read more)