I was reading an article on eWeek (actually a slideshow) that was talking about best practices to apply to secure your database (technically your data). While the usual suspects are there – encryption and access controls and the like (which is great), I was surprised at the recommendation to use open source databases for a more secure environment. The post […]

This sort of reminds me of the “I don’t use the GUI, I’m a command line person, or “I use ISQL still, it’s faster and cleaner” or… yeah. I’d have to say that, early on, I did tend to avoid overly complex GUIs and advanced tools where the information about our systems was shown first in a graphical, very pretty, […]

One of the most difficult things I have experienced in working with computer systems is to know when to have the honest discussion, and decide to cut your losses, and move in a different direction. Many times we begin a project with some degree of risk, simply because there are things you can’t know ahead of time. Sometimes you make […]

There are a huge number of different alternatives when it comes to platforms and tools that you have available to you when laying out your systems. How are YOU choosing? I ask after reading Craig Mullins post to TechTarget, talking about all of the different tools and choices you have when it comes to operational database systems. This was, frankly, […]

I was reviewing the Full Text Search Engine implementation for SQL Server today, and came across a few things I didn’t know, and wanted to pass on. Before I get to the things new to me, let me start with a high level explanation of what the Full Text Search Engine is and does. The Full Text Search capabilities have […]

I think more and more we’ll see some really cool things happening with the integration of machine smarts into the flow of work and operations… There is real leverage to be had by an always-on watchful eye on our systems. Things can start to be detected in process, things like unwanted access, breaches, runaway code, etc. By looking at what […]

One other service you will find related to SQL Server in your windows services is the SQL Browser Service. Like the name says, it provides resolution when connecting to SQL Server instances. However, the resolution is local. It does not interrogate other SQL Server Instance on the network, as I originally thought. Where did this service come from, and what […]

If you take a look at the NT Services available in support of one or more instances of SQL Server you are likely to find SQL Server Browser, and SQL Server VSS Writer. I was really intrigued by the VSS Writer when I saw that service show up the first time years ago. At one time I thought it was […]

More than a decade of patches and updates later, Slammer is back. This is all about keeping current and keeping your systems updated. In this case, beyond SQL Server 2000. Yes. 2000. It’s hard to believe there are some out there still trying to execute this exploit. But what may be harder to believe is, unless they’re just simply crazy, […]

I’ve been working on a project for a client that features a component to be shared with more than one application. The client has had a lot of problems with these kinds of components. They have tried implementations using micro-services, web services, project libraries, or sharing the project in multiple solutions. A frequent occurrence is that two different applications are […]