What’s new in SQL Server RC0 setup

1. Datacentre Edition is no longer available as a MS SQL Server 2012 RC0 candidate, Read More
2. MS SQL Server 2012 RC0 includes new edition – SQL Server Business Intelligence,  Read More
3. Service Pack 1 is the minimum requirement for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems, Read more
4. Data Quality Services can be installed using SQL Server 2012 RC0 Setup, Read more
5. Product update is the new feature available with MS SQL Server 2012 RC0, this will integrate latest update with main product including MS Update, WSUS, local folder or UNC. This feature is an extension to Slipstream Functionality which was available in SQL Server 2008 PCU1. We can use command prompt or configuration file to override default values to find updates by specifying values for UpdateSource parameter, Read more
6. We can now install MS SQL Server on Windows Server 2008 R2 Core SP1, not all features are supported though, Read more
7. SQL Server Data Tools (formerly, BIDS) is now part of setup, with this we can carry out all database design work, and can build solutions for SSAS, SSRS and SSIS. Read more
8. Now, Support for SQL Server multi-subnet clustering included, Read more 
9. Databases (systems and users) can now be on UNC path, we may need to make sure that proper NTFS and File Share permissions are assigned, Read more
10. Local disk can be used for Tempdb in cluster, Read more
11. Built-in Administrator and Local system account will not be part of sysadmin role
12. Itanium editions are no longer supported

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Revamping Surat User Group

Dear Friends, we had a user group meeting last week – I and Vinay Pugalia was  here. We have discussed many things to revamp and re-launch Surat User Group. Here are the minutes of meeting:

1) Regular Meetings -> Monthly, Proposed schedule :Saturday evening, 1900 to 2000

2) Regular Events -> 1 every 2 months, 1 workshop every quarter

3) Decide and form SUG Website, with Blog,Forums section, Facebook page and twitter handle

4) Press Notes after every event

5) Help from CSI Surat -> Have to meet, discuss and encourage Local IT professional to join and PARTICIPATE

6) Seminars/ Workshop :-free, TBS on weekends (Sat-Sun) to have discussion with Professional / Students

7) Different topics and technology, every time has 1 continue and 1 different topic

8) Initially we'll take session and then, we'll encourage others to take sessions and like that

9) Form Core Team & Backup Team

10) Role definition and Role assignment

11) Encourage new speaker to start with very basic topics to build their confidence

12) More Online activities etc.

13) Ask speakers to provide technology they can confidently speak

-- Hemantgiri S. Goswami (http://www.sql-server-citation.com )

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Maintenance Plan mystery

Last week I had interesting (or I can say weird ? ) case of Maintenance Plan. One of the server that we monitor has reported job failure – this was a part of maintenance plan. Looking at the job history and log file I came to know that this job was failing because of some database which wasn’t available – this database was dropped few days back, and, the maintenance plan has it’s reference stored somewhere. I have search around system tables etc. but nothing unusual or nothing helpful was available that indicates the source of this database.
Finally, I have edited the maintenance plan which resolved this case, here is what I did:

1. Alter the maintenance plan "some maintenance plan"
2. note down the databases name
3. altered it and selected all the system databases
4. saved the maintenance plan changes and exit
5. re-open the maintenance plan
6. re-selected those databases (from step 2)
7. saved the maintenance plan changes and exit
8. re-invoked the job
9. and, the job completed successfully

And, the mystery persist, can you guys suggest me if I miss something to refer/research ?

-- Hemantgiri S. Goswami (http://www.sql-server-citation.com )

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Using NOLOCK hint

Use NOLOCK hint to avoid block - this is what I have often heard/see in many forums I participate, during local user group events and meeting. I have always advised that its not that good idea to use hints, as it may cause data corruption and blocking. And, anyways, there are many things that you can do to avoid blocking, like:

1. use sp for everything (almost)  
2. try to avoid using cursor
3. transaction shouldn't be too big etc
4. and, use READPAST hint , I will still say, use this only when you don't have choice

But these all comes from the experience from the field and haven't anything concrete to quote as reference point until last night, I was googling something and this blog article from  Dave, on MSDN Blog showed up.  Now, I can quote SQL Server NOLOCK Hint and Other poor ideas as reference to my peers,and friends at local user group, and I am referencing it here for you to read and make a note.  


I hope this helps.


-- Hemantgiri S. Goswami (http://www.sql-server-citation.com/) 

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