Guide to Installing and Booting Windows 8 Developer Preview off a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk) - Scott Hanselman

Guide to Installing and Booting Windows 8 Developer Preview off a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk) - Scott Hanselman:

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FavIcon.ico can be a bandwidth hog - Scott Hanselman

FavIcon.ico can be a bandwidth hog - Scott Hanselman:

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System Tools - BellaVista: An easy-to-use tool for configuring Windows for a developer

System Tools - BellaVista:

The settings include:

• Setting up debugging boot configuration
• Configuring crash dump
• Disabling UAC, file and registry virtualization, and Shutdown Event Tracker
• Setting environment variables
• Configuring DbgPrint filters

BellaVista can do all of the above, with a minimal number of mouse clicks.

Troy Hunt: 5 minute wonders: Finding lazy loading nasties with ANTS Profiler

Troy Hunt: 5 minute wonders: Finding lazy loading nasties with ANTS Profiler:

Here’s how an n+1 condition manifests itself:

1. You query the database and get back a bunch of records in a table (this is one query)
2. In your app code, you read through each record and refer to one or more attributes which need to be pulled from other tables
3. Each record then causes the app to go off and make a heap of other queries in order to retrieve the attributes in the previous point (the n bit)

SQL Server 2012 Semantic Search - Prologika (Teo Lachev's Weblog) - Prologika Forums

SQL Server 2012 Semantic Search - Prologika (Teo Lachev's Weblog) - Prologika Forums:

Building upon full text search, semantic search allows you to search not only for words, but also for the meaning (semantics) of these works. Mark Tabladillo, Ph.D., gave us great presentation at our Atlanta BI January meeting. He demoed how semantic search can be used to find the most common phrases in a document and how to find similar documents from a given search criteria.

Moving the SQLAGENT.OUT file

Moving the SQLAGENT.OUT file:

Question: Is there a way to move the SQLAGENT.OUT ?
Answer: This command moves the location of the file

USE msdb
GO
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_set_sqlagent_properties @errorlog_file=N'newpath\SQLAGENT.OUT'
GO

Now restart the SQL Agent

Moving MSDB Database in MSSQL2000

Moving the Tempdb and Master Database in SQL Server — DatabaseJournal.com:

Moving MSDB Database

In order to move the MSDB and Model database, follow these steps. First, right-click the SQL-Server name and click properties. From the General tab, choose your startup parameters. Next, enter the parameter -T3608. Click OK, stop and restart SQL Server. After the restart, detach the database and move them to their appropriate place.

123 TSQL functions - SQLServerCentral

123 TSQL functions - SQLServerCentral:

hmm.

Moving the master Database

Move System Databases: "Moving the master Database"

Moving the master Database

---

To move the master database, follow these steps.

1. From the Start menu, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft SQL Server, point to Configuration Tools, and then click SQL Server Configuration Manager.
2. In the SQL Server Services node, right-click the instance of SQL Server (for example, SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER)) and choose Properties.
3. In the SQL Server (instance_name) Properties dialog box, click the Startup Parameters tab.
4. In the Existing parameters box, select the –d parameter to move the master data file. Click Update to save the change.
   In the Specify a startup parameter box, change the parameter to the new path of the master database.
5. In the Existing parameters box, select the –l parameter to move the master log file. Click Update to save the change.
   In the Specify a startup parameter box, change the parameter to the new path of the master database.
   The parameter value for the data file must follow the -d parameter and the value for the log file must follow the -l parameter. The following example shows the parameter values for the default location of the master data file.
   -dC:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA\master.mdf
   -lC:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA\mastlog.ldf
   If the planned relocation for the master data file is E:\SQLData, the parameter values would be changed as follows:
   -dE:\SQLData\master.mdf
   -lE:\SQLData\mastlog.ldf
6. Stop the instance of SQL Server by right-clicking the instance name and choosing Stop.
7. Move the master.mdf and mastlog.ldf files to the new location.
8. Restart the instance of SQL Server.
9. Verify the file change for the master database by running the following query.
   SELECT name, physical_name AS CurrentLocation, state_desc
   FROM sys.master_files
   WHERE database_id = DB_ID('master');
   GO

Move System Databases : Failure Recovery Procedure

Failure Recovery Procedure

---

If a file must be moved because of a hardware failure, follow these steps to relocate the file to a new location. This procedure applies to all system databases except the master and Resource databases.

Important
If the database cannot be started, that is it is in suspect mode or in an unrecovered state, only members of the sysadmin fixed role can move the file.

1. Stop the instance of SQL Server if it is started.
2. Start the instance of SQL Server in master-only recovery mode by entering one of the following commands at the command prompt. The parameters specified in these commands are case sensitive. The commands fail when the parameters are not specified as shown.
   • For the default (MSSQLSERVER) instance, run the following command:
     NET START MSSQLSERVER /f /T3608
     

   • For a named instance, run the following command:
     NET START MSSQL$instancename /f /T3608
     

   For more information, see Start, Stop, Pause, Resume, Restart the Database Engine, SQL Server Agent, or SQL Server Browser Service.
3. For each file to be moved, use sqlcmd commands or SQL Server Management Studio to run the following statement.
   ALTER DATABASE database_name MODIFY FILE( NAME = logical_name , FILENAME = 'new_path\os_file_name' )
   

   For more information about using the sqlcmd utility, see Use the sqlcmd Utility.
4. Exit the sqlcmd utility or SQL Server Management Studio.
5. Stop the instance of SQL Server. For example, run NET STOP MSSQLSERVER.
6. Move the file or files to the new location.
7. Restart the instance of SQL Server. For example, run NET START MSSQLSERVER.
8. Verify the file change by running the following query.
   SELECT name, physical_name AS CurrentLocation, state_desc
   FROM sys.master_files
   WHERE database_id = DB_ID(N'');

Reorganize and Rebuild Indexes

Reorganize and Rebuild Indexes: "To check the fragmentation of an index"

USE AdventureWorks2012;
GO
-- Find the average fragmentation percentage of all indexes
-- in the HumanResources.Employee table. 
SELECT a.index_id, name, avg_fragmentation_in_percent
FROM sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats (DB_ID(N'AdventureWorks2012'), OBJECT_ID(N'HumanResources.Employee'), NULL, NULL, NULL) AS a
    JOIN sys.indexes AS b ON a.object_id = b.object_id AND a.index_id = b.index_id; 
GO

SQL Server Backup, Integrity Check, Index and Statistics Maintenance

SQL Server Backup, Integrity Check, Index and Statistics Maintenance:

from the page:

Getting Started

Download MaintenanceSolution.sql. This script creates all the objects and jobs that you need.

Learn more about using the SQL Server Maintenance Solution:

• DatabaseBackup: SQL Server Backup
• DatabaseIntegrityCheck: SQL Server Integrity Check
• IndexOptimize: SQL Server Index and Statistics Maintenance

Intelligent Index Maintenance

The SQL Server Maintenance Solution lets you intelligently rebuild or reorganize only the indexes that are fragmented. In theIndexOptimize procedure, you can define a preferred index maintenance operation for each fragmentation group. Take a look at this code:

EXECUTE dbo.IndexOptimize @Databases = 'USER_DATABASES',
@FragmentationLow = NULL,
@FragmentationMedium = 'INDEX_REORGANIZE,INDEX_REBUILD_ONLINE,INDEX_REBUILD_OFFLINE',
@FragmentationHigh = 'INDEX_REBUILD_ONLINE,INDEX_REBUILD_OFFLINE',
@FragmentationLevel1 = 5,
@FragmentationLevel2 = 30

In this example, indexes that have a high fragmentation level will be rebuilt, online if possible. Indexes that have a medium fragmentation level will be reorganized. Indexes that have a low fragmentation level will remain untouched.

Update Statistics

The IndexOptimize procedure can also be used to update statistics. You can choose to update all statistics, statistics on indexes only, or statistics on columns only. If an index is rebuilt, the statistics is not being updated. You can also choose to update the statistics only if any rows have been modified since the most recent statistics update.
EXECUTE dbo.IndexOptimize @Databases = 'USER_DATABASES',
@FragmentationLow = NULL,
@FragmentationMedium = 'INDEX_REORGANIZE,INDEX_REBUILD_ONLINE,INDEX_REBUILD_OFFLINE',
@FragmentationHigh = 'INDEX_REBUILD_ONLINE,INDEX_REBUILD_OFFLINE',
@FragmentationLevel1 = 5,
@FragmentationLevel2 = 30,
@UpdateStatistics = 'ALL',
@OnlyModifiedStatistics = 'Y'

Improve query performance with RAM disk

Improve query performance with RAM disk:

-- create database on physical drive c:\ with default setting
CREATE DATABASE [TestPerformance] ON  PRIMARY 
( NAME = N'TestPerformance', FILENAME = N'TestPerformance.mdf' , SIZE = 4352KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 1024KB )
 LOG ON 
( NAME = N'TestPerformance_log', FILENAME = N'TestPerformance_log.LDF' , SIZE = 576KB , MAXSIZE = 2048GB , FILEGROWTH = 10%)
GO
-- create database on ramdisk (drive L:\) with default setting
CREATE DATABASE [TestPerformanceRamdisk] ON  PRIMARY 
( NAME = N'TestPerformanceRamdisk', FILENAME = N'TestPerformanceRamdisk.mdf' , SIZE = 4096KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 1024KB )
 LOG ON 
( NAME = N'TestPerformanceRamdisk_log', FILENAME = N'TestPerformanceRamdisk_log.ldf' , SIZE = 1024KB , MAXSIZE = 2048GB , FILEGROWTH = 10%)
GO

-- create simple test tables in both databases
CREATE TABLE TestPerformance..TestInsert (testColumn UNIQUEIDENTIFIER)
GO
CREATE TABLE TestPerformanceRamDisk..TestInsert (testColumn UNIQUEIDENTIFIER)
GO

-- run this script on both databases and compare time
DECLARE @i INT = 100000
DECLARE @start DATETIME = GETDATE()
DECLARE @end DATETIME 

WHILE @i > 0
BEGIN

    INSERT INTO TestInsert
        VALUES (NEWID())

    SET @i -= 1
END

SET @end = GETDATE()
SELECT CONVERT (TIME, @end - @start)

SQL Server Management Studio forgets password

Hum » SQL Server Management Studio forgets password:

It doesn’t take too long to set up a tool to monitor a file or directory – you can download FileMon from:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/FileAndDisk/Filemon.mspx

The Connect to Server dialog can pop up in different situations where there is no security context for the connection to use. If you use registered servers (and save the password there) when you view the registered servers, select a server in the Registered Servers task pane and then click New Query on the toolbar or Right Click, Connect, Object Explorer or New Query which will result in connecting under the security context you used when registering the server. If a server isn’t selected, there is no security context available so the Connect to Server dialog pops up. I haven’t heard of passwords  being “lost” or “forgotten” using the registered servers task pane and saving registration information there.

Good info.

Agreed. :)

Optimizing tempdb Performance : Viewing tempdb Size and Growth Parameters

Optimizing tempdb Performance

SELECT 
    name AS FileName, 
    size*1.0/128 AS FileSizeinMB,
    CASE max_size 
        WHEN 0 THEN 'Autogrowth is off.'
        WHEN -1 THEN 'Autogrowth is on.'
        ELSE 'Log file will grow to a maximum size of 2 TB.'
    END,
    growth AS 'GrowthValue',
    'GrowthIncrement' = 
        CASE
            WHEN growth = 0 THEN 'Size is fixed and will not grow.'
            WHEN growth > 0 AND is_percent_growth = 0 
                THEN 'Growth value is in 8-KB pages.'
            ELSE 'Growth value is a percentage.'
        END
FROM tempdb.sys.database_files;

Starting a MSSQL Instance in a Command-Prompt Window

Starting a SQL Instance in a Command-Prompt Window

If the SQL instance fails to start as a service, it can be started in a command-prompt window. Generally, this is only done for troubleshooting purposes. (See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms180965(v=SQL.100).aspx) For example, if a SQL instance starting up as a service cannot find the storage device that the tempdb files are to be stored on, the instance will fail startup. Since the service cannot be started, its tempdb location also cannot be reconfigured in the normal way. In this case, the solution is to run the instance in a command-prompt window, reconfigure the tempdb location, stop the command-prompt instance, and start it again, running as a service.To start a SQL instance in a command-prompt window, cd to the instance's Binn directory (eg. 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.SQL_INSTANCE\MSSQL\Binn'), and enter the following command: sqlservr -f -s "SQL_INSTANCE" This command runs the SQL instance named "SQL_INSTANCE" inside the command-prompt window itself, with a minimal configuration. A minimal configuration limits instance execution to a single user. To reconfigure the tempdb file locations, open another command-prompt window and use one of the SQLCMD.EXE methods shown above. When finished, return to the command-prompt window in which SQL is running, type Ctrl-C, and confirm the shutdown request. Afterward, run the SQL instance as a service.

How to Relocate MSSQL tempdb Files via SQLCMD

How to Relocate Microsoft's SQL tempdb Files:

Using SQLCMD.EXE		To change the location using the command-line tool SQLCMD.EXE, open a command-prompt window with Administrator privileges, and cd to the instance's Binn directory. Then follow one of the three methods shown below: Note: In the examples below,  'MY_SERVER' is the name of the server running SQL.  'SQL_INSTANCE' is the name of the SQL instance.
First Method: Scripted		Create the two script files, 'ChangeLocation.sql' and 'ReportLocation.sql', with the content shown in the tables above. Modify the file path specification appropriately. To execute the scripts, open a command prompt and enter the commands shown below: sqlcmd -S "MY_SERVER\SQL_INSTANCE" -i "ChangeLocation.sql"Changed database context to 'master'. The file "tempdev" has been modified in the system catalog. The new path will be used the next time the database is started. The file "templog" has been modified in the system catalog. The new path will be used the next time the database is started. sqlcmd -S "MY_SERVER\SQL_INSTANCE" -i "ReportLocation.sql" name physical_name ------------------ ------------------- tempdev R:\temp\tempdb.mdf templog R:\temp\templog.ldf (2 rows affected)
Second Method: Interactive		Execute the commands in an interactive SQLCMD session, as shown below (modify the file path specification appropriately): sqlcmd -S "MY_SERVER\SQL_INSTANCE" 1> USE master 2> go Changed database context to 'master'. 1> ALTER DATABASE tempdb MODIFY FILE (NAME = tempdev, FILENAME = 'R:\temp\tempdb.mdf') 2> go The file "tempdev" has been modified in the system catalog. The new path will be used the next time the database is started. 1> ALTER DATABASE tempdb MODIFY FILE (NAME = templog, FILENAME = 'R:\temp\templog.ldf') 2> go The file "templog" has been modified in the system catalog. The new path will be used the next time the database is started. 1> quitsqlcmd -S "MY_SERVER\SQL_INSTANCE" 1> SELECT name, physical_name FROM sys.master_files WHERE database_id = DB_ID('tempdb') 2> go name physical_name ------------------ ------------------- tempdev R:\temp\tempdb.mdf templog R:\temp\templog.ldf (2 rows affected)   1> quit
Third Method: Command-Line Query		The query commands can be concatenated for use in a single argument on the command line, as shown below (modify the file path specification appropriately): sqlcmd -S "MY_SERVER\SQL_INSTANCE" -Q"USE master;ALTER DATABASE tempdb MODIFY FILE (NAME = tempdev, FILENAME = 'R:\temp\tempdb.mdf');ALTER DATABASE tempdb MODIFY FILE (NAME = templog, FILENAME = 'R:\temp\templog.ldf');" Changed database context to 'master'. The file "tempdev" has been modified in the system catalog. The new path will be used the next time the database is started. The file "templog" has been modified in the system catalog. The new path will be used the next time the database is started. sqlcmd -S "MY_SERVER\SQL_INSTANCE" -Q"SELECT name, physical_name;FROM sys.master_files;WHERE database_id = DB_ID('tempdb');" name physical_name ------------------ ------------------- tempdev R:\temp\tempdb.mdf templog R:\temp\templog.ldf (2 rows affected)

How to Relocate MSSQL tempdb Files via SSMS

How to Relocate Microsoft's SQL tempdb Files:

Using "SQL Server Management Studio"

To change the location using "SQL Server Management Studio" (requires that the SQL instance is running as a service): 1. Open "SQL Server Management Studio", and connect to the desired server. 2. Open a new query, copy the Change File Location text into the query pane, and execute the query. (Change the path as required.) 3. Open "Services" (Control Panel -> Administrative Tools), and stop and then start "SQL Server (Xxx)". ('Xxx' is the instance name.) 4. In "SQL Server Management Studio" open a new query, copy the Report File Location text into the query pane, and execute the query. 5. Verify the new file locations in the physical_name column.

How to Relocate MSSQL TempDB via SQL

How to Relocate Microsoft's SQL tempdb Files:

QUERY TO CHANGE FILE LOCATION (ChangeLocation.sql)

USE master  go  ALTER DATABASE tempdb MODIFY FILE (NAME = tempdev, FILENAME = 'R:\temp\tempdb.mdf')  go  ALTER DATABASE tempdb MODIFY FILE (NAME = templog, FILENAME = 'R:\temp\templog.ldf')  go

QUERY TO REPORT FILE LOCATION (MyReportScript.sql)

SELECT name, physical_name FROM sys.master_files WHERE database_id = DB_ID('tempdb') go

Eric Barnard. Iterations: Getting Started with LocalDB

Eric Barnard. Iterations: Getting Started with LocalDB: "Sharing Instances
So what if you want to allow multiple users on a machine to have access to a single LocalDB database instance? Well you can also "share" a "Named" instance of LocalDB. You can control who the instance is shared with, and you can enable/disable sharing at any time.

When connecting with a shared instance, your connection string will need to include an extra ".\" in the server portion. Going with the example above, one would use: "(localdb)\.\MySharedInstance". This tells the engine that this is a shared instance."

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