Useful Tools: sp_whoisactive
One incredibly useful SQL Server tool that I often forget about is Adam Machanic’s sp_whoisactive procedure. The reason I say I forget about it is that it is not something that I use every day, it’s...
View ArticleNOLOCK may not be doing what you think it does
When working with developers, I’ve noticed that some have a tendency to put WITH (NOLOCK) on every table in a SELECT query. When I inquire about this, the typical response I get is usually along the...
View ArticleWhy you should not prefix your stored procedures with “sp_”
One nasty habit that seems to persist throughout the ages with developers (I even did it myself) is the tendency to put “sp_” at the beginning of stored procedure names in SQL Server. There are...
View ArticleChecking The Status Of Email Sent From SQL Server
When sending email via sp_send_dbmail, SQL Server will log the status of each message processed by Database Mail. Below is quick list of Database Mail Views you can query to find the status of each...
View ArticleTool For Parsing Ouput from Statistics IO and Statistics Time
I’ve been using this tool for quite for some time and thought it was worth passing on. Statistics Parser allows you to paste in the output of Statistics IO and/or Statistics Time and puts it into...
View ArticleCall Multiple SQL Jobs In Sequence Via PowerShell
Recently I had an issue come up where I needed to run about 15 SQL Agent Jobs in a specific order, bouncing back and forth across multiple SQL Servers, ensuring that each job completed successfully...
View ArticleOnline SQL Formatting Service
I stumbled upon this last week and thought I would share it. SQLFormat is a free online formatter for SQL statements. It’s pretty straight forward and easy to use. You just enter your SQL statements...
View ArticleSpecifying A Value For An SSIS PackageID
Every SSIS package has a unique ID associated with it. Most of the time it goes unnoticed, and most people don’t even realize (or care) that it’s there. You can see it in the package properties in...
View ArticleIndex Basics: Clustered Indexes
In SQL Server, an index is used to speed the retrieval of data from a table. Indexes are built from one or more columns in the table, and SQL Server uses these Indexes to look up and retrieve data...
View ArticleIndex Basics: Nonclustered Indexes, Part 1
In SQL Server, an index is used to speed the retrieval of data from a table. Indexes are built from one or more columns in the table, and SQL Server uses these Indexes to look up and retrieve data...
View ArticleWhat Features Are Disabled Between Compatibility Levels In SQL Server?
Have you ever wondered what features may or may not be available when your database is running in a different compatibility level than your SQL Server version? I recently came across a situation where...
View ArticleList All Foreign Keys Referencing A Table In SQL Server
There may be times that you need to get a list of tables that have foreign key constraints back to a table that you’re working on. Fortunately, SQL Server has a built in system procedure that makes...
View ArticleSpeaking at dev.Objective() 2016
I’m happy to announce that I have been selected to speak at dev.Objective() 2016! The conference, which covers a wide variety of topics relating to web and software development, will be held in...
View ArticleSlides from dev.Objective() 2016
dev.Objective() 2016 was last week and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It was good to get back in touch with some old friends as well as make some new ones. Initially there was a scheduling conflict...
View ArticleDeploy An SSIS Project To A Different Domain
Occasionally I run into a situation where I need to deploy an SSIS Project to a server on a different domain than my local PC is on. A lot of my work is done over VPN, so it’s pretty common for me to...
View ArticleResolving Write Error When Backing Up Database Master Key
This blog post is more for my own personal notes so that I don’t bang my head against the wall so much next time, but hopefully it will help someone out one day as well. I recently set up a new SSISDB...
View ArticleStored Procedures Ignore User’s Permissions
So, that title may be a little misleading to some. It is not meant as a blanket statement about all procedures and all permissions, but rather a specific situation that I encountered recently. I ran...
View ArticleSpeaking At Adobe ColdFusion Summit 2016
I’m excited to announce that I will be speaking at the 2016 Adobe ColdFusion Summit! The conference is October 10th-11th, in Las Vegas. I am honored to have been asked to speak at this conference, as...
View ArticleYou Can Now Specify MAXDOP For DBCC CheckDB!
I just stumbled on this today. According to the DBCC CheckDB documentation, as of SQL Server 2014 Service Pack 2 you can now specify MAXDOP when running DBCC CheckDB! The documentation states: MAXDOP...
View ArticleSpeaking At Dev Data Day 2016
If you’re in the Birmingham, AL area this Saturday (August 20, 2016), come join me at Dev Data Day at Samford University, where I’ll be presenting SQL Server Tips For Everyday Programmers. I’m looking...
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