Sleep deprivation. Everyone reacts to it in their own way, whether enforced or voluntary, and I found this out personally the other day. In the process, I discovered how you can rejoice in the experience of seeing words in front of your eyes which normally make sense but now seem completely meaningless - like instructions [...]

Riiiing! Riiing! Riiing! Oh no, the dreaded telephone is ringing again. You push your nose further into your monitor and stare more intensely at your code and hope one of the other developers will answer it… All of a sudden everyone’s gone quiet and has something so urgent to do that they can’t possibly be [...]

Here’s a little dittie I found on another blog that you all might find helpful. When you get the vague Login Failed error message from anything SQL, it gives a state of 1. Below is a chart of the actual state you’ll find in the event or SQL logs. I’m finding [...]

Doodling is the habit of idle hands. You know when you’re on the phone or in a meeting and have a pen in your hand, some vacant space on your notepad and probably some vacant space in your head? That part of your brain which just isn’t tuned in to the person talking or the [...]

We’ve just had our SQL Server Club gadget accepted by Google and it has been included in their gadget directory. If you are using iGoogle, you can add the SSC gadget: Feel free to send any comments or suggestions!

I’ve just downloaded the latest browser to hit the web, Google’s “Chrome” browser. This has attracted a lot of attention, coming out as it did just after Microsoft announced that it would be releasing a browser with the abillity to hide data from Google. Whichever flavor of evil empire you align yourself with, it’s nice [...]

Sorry I haven’t been posting the dust from the re-org/move is just beginning to settle a little. Also, my team lead is on leave. Things have moved at a rapid pace lately, when I was, of course, hoping for a slow down. As I have moved from “general” IT [...]

That’s right, we’ve joined the world of social networking, on probably the biggest and most famous of them all, Facebook. Please support the SQL Server Club community by joining the group, where you can take part in discussions, start your own, leave messages for other members and post links to SQL Server related web sites. This [...]

Well our reorg rolls on. Now we officially move to new facilities. Its total chaos. From my perspective, its a joke. Right now, I have a new office, but no furniture or computer. My phone is there and working. I’m at the location of my old desk but the [...]

The big news yesterday from Redmond was Microsoft’s announcement that SQL Server 2008 was released to manufacturing. This means TechNet and MSDN subscribers can get their hands on their copy as of today, and an evaluation version is available for non-subscribers. Microsoft counted more 450,000 downloads of the Community Technology Preview (CTP) version, and customers are [...]

I’m here in wonderful San Diego for the ESRI International User Conference. ESRI is the world’s largest Geographic Information Systems (GIS) vendor/solutions provider. I’d love to work for them Even if you’re not interested or know what GIS is (which I’d be GLAD to tell you. I “evangelize” ESRI’s products.) [...]

Hey All Its good to be here at the SQL Server Club. Rachel has been great at hooking me up here. This is my last post from my blog. I created a blog to store info that I can access here at work, on the road or for other database pros that might [...]

The third SQL Bits community conference will take place on Saturday 13th September 2008 at the Hertfordshire Conference Centre in Hatfield (UK). Entry is free and the last two events have been successfully filled to capacity. This year’s conference offers places to 440 SQL Server fans on a first come, first served basis. To register for [...]

It’s so easy to knock Microsoft. Everybody does it, ourselves included, and with good reason. And it’s even easier to knock Bill Gates. So just for a change, on Bill’s last day at Microsoft, today Friday 27th June 2008, we thought we’d write something positive and congratulatory about him. Born 28th October 1955, 52 year [...]

A developer that doesn’t get excited about new software features is like a dog that doesn’t get excited about a new Frisbee. DBAs, on the other hand, can be excitable in a slightly more subdued manner, but unlike developers, they don’t install and play with new software on their servers as soon as the beta [...]

If you’ve not had a play with the new features inside SQL Server 2008, then now’s a good time to give it a go. Microsoft has just this month released SQL Server 2008 Release Candidate Zero (RC0) to the public and you can download the 180 day version from here: Download SQL Server 2008 RCO. If you’re [...]

Programmers and coffee have had a long-term faithful relationship since computing first began and I’m no exception to this love affair. Personally, I can’t open a jar or bag of coffee without a good inhalation of the smell. Just walking past a cafe or even seeing a cup of coffee is enough to make me [...]

A report commissioned by the UK’s Prime Minister, following what the London Times described as a “growing moral panic” towards violent video games, has concluded that the harm they can cause justifies them carrying health warnings, not dissimilar to those on cigarette packets. The whole point of video games is that they are supposed to [...]

We have recently become affiliates of SQL Server DVD with database expert Kalen Delaney. Kalen has put her name and guru-level knowledge to a series of training videos on the internals of SQL Server and we have been given special permission to spread the word about these great products. The first DVD, Lesson 1, covers [...]

Clippy says “I’ve noticed that you’re stressed out by the Microsoft Office Assistant. Would you like me to: Administer a measured dose of Temazepam Administer a measured dose of Morphine Automatically report this to your manager Book you in for a health check up Change the Office Assistant to a mini Steve Ballmer?” So, Microsoft has applied for a patent [...]

Microsoft has just released a new February CTP for SQL Server 2008! With Windows Server 2008 collation support, this CTP is now available in ten different languages. The latest feature improvements include SPARSE COLUMNS, which is a more efficient way for empty data, or NULL values, to consume no physical storage space. Also of interest are [...]

Last night we belatedly celebrated SQL Server Club’s first birthday. I can’t believe it’s now been going for over a year! Well, any excuse for a party and nearly three weeks after the official birthday when we first launched the web site last year, we finally cracked open some bubbly. We toasted our community with champagne, [...]

Just to clear up a few dates… The Marketing Launch Microsoft are launching SQL Server 2008 on 27th February in Los Angeles, but this is purely a marketing exercise to tell the world about SQL Server 2008, Windows 2008 and Visual Studio 2008. This event is taking place for all three products as they will be [...]

Registration for the second SQLBits conference is now open and promises to be a day jam-packed with SQL Server events. The session list has also been announced (see below). It takes place on 1st March 2008 in Birmingham, UK, so if you want to attend, please register quickly to avoid disappointment. Simply fill in your details [...]

We developers are a friendly bunch, always keen to share our skills. It’s in the nature of the engineers to show others how things work and show off their deep understanding to their peer group for recognition and appreciation. You only have to search the web for a SQL Server error message or a coding [...]