In building a database, typically we want a well normalized design. However there are cases for considering options for denormalization in complex systems. Timothy Claason gives you some thoughts on the subject.
Auditing your SQL Server instances has become more of a concern these days. SQL Server 2008 introduced a new feature named SQL Server Audit. Enabling this feature can be done in just a few simple steps, but so could disabling this feature. And when it comes to audits, many times you are asked to provide proof that the audit itself has not been tampered with.
Understanding the transaction log seems to be a very difficult concept fro mos DBAs to grasp. Jason Brimhall brings us a new article that helps to troubleshoot the cause of log growths.
Why neglecting slowly changing dimensions, failing to capture metadata and overlooking scope creep can be the undoing of a dimensional data warehousing initiative.
Is your application scalable under increased activity? Timothy Claason brings us a methodology for testing how your application will deal with database load.
If you think through the web sites you visit on a daily basis the chances are that you will need to login to verify who you are. In most cases your username would be stored in a relational database along with all the other registered users on that web site. Hopefully your password will be encrypted and not stored in plain text.
Come to this great one day training event in New York, New York. SQL Saturday comes to the Big Apple and is a great way to get free training on all aspects of SQL Server.
A lot of the time, the key to making SQL databases perform well is to take a break from the keyboard and rethink the way of approaching the problem; and rethinking in terms of a set-based declarative approach. Joe takes a simple discussion abut a problem with a UDF to illustrate the point that ingrained procedural reflexes can often prevent us from seeing simpler set-based techniques.
This article gives a description of the iff() and DLookup() functions in Access 2007, and a method to converting them to SQL.
SQL Server monitoring made easy "Keeping an eye on our many SQL Server instances is much easier with SQL Response." Mike Lile.Download a free trial of SQL Response now.
We are inundated with new technologies and products designed to help make our organisations safe from hackers and other malcontents. One technology that has gained ground over the past few years is database activity monitoring. It makes sense to protect valuable databases, and by adding an intelligent monitor capable of sniffing out threats an additional level of protection can be gained.
But what is database activity monitoring and why should you care?
SQL Server 2008 has a number of enhancements over 2005 that make it a more capable platform. New author Arshad Ali brings us an overview and some code about a few T-SQL changes.
To be able to drill into multidimensional cube data at several levels, you must implement all of the hierarchies on the database dimensions. Then you'll create the attribute relationships necessary to optimize performance. Analysis Services hierarchies offer plenty of possibilities for displaying the data that your business requires. Rob Sheldon continues his series on SQL Server Analysis Services 2008.
The Microsoft SQL Server Connectivity team has a survey on the need for ODBC support for other platforms. If you use SQL Server from other platforms, let them know.
Read the first chapter of this new book on DMVs.
Free trial of SQL Backup™“SQL Backup was able to cut down my backup time significantly AND achieved a 90% compression at the same time!” Joe Cheng. Download a free trial now.