A question that arose at one of the stops on the SQL Server 2005 Launch Tour was How do I export database diagrams I create in SQL Server Management Studio to another application? The answer to this question depends on what you want to do with the diagram...

If you want to start testing database mirroring in SQL Server 2005, you will need to enable a trace flag on your SQL Server 2005 instance. To do so, you will need to modify the start-up flags for the SQL Server executable and add the following option...

Wasn't that an exciting finish to the Australian Grand Prix?? I'm not talking about Fernando Alonso winning the race - that was a forgone conclusion as soon as he took the lead. No, I mean the way Jenson Button's Honda engine exlpoded on the main straight...

If Kimi Raikkonen did not have bad luck, he would have no luck at all. Last year he won more races than Fernando Alonso but still managed to lose the championship due to not finishing as many of them. This year looks like it might be starting the same...

Today, in Winnipeg, we wrapped up the SQL Server 2005 Launch Tour. It has been an amazing five weeks from where we started at the single biggest launch event in Microsoft Canada's history to perhaps the launch event with the coldest weather. I just wanted...

I bet Pat Symonds is kicking himself right now. Fernando Alonso was being held up by Michael Schumacher, who was struggling in his Ferrari, so Renault tries to get some faster laps for Alonso by calling him in early. The problem was that Ross Brawn simply...

The land down under hosts the third Grand Prix of the season in the lovely city of Melbourne. I can say that from experience having had the pleasure of visiting the city some years ago. The Albert Park Circuit is also a fun one to watch, thought I've...

I love the first practice day of the first grand prix of the season. All the drivers are making bold statements as to why they did well or not, but the lap times mean almost nothing. Looking at the lap times for the day you have Anthony Davidson, a test...

I personnally think that Kimi Raikkonen should start from the back of the grid at every race!! It was really exciting to watch him come through the field from 22nd on the grid to finish third. A podium finish from last place is an accomplishment, so much...

It was the only record that I can think of that Michael Schumacher did not hold - the most poles in an F1 career. Ayrton Senna held it for the longest time with a total of 65 poles in his career and today Michael Schumacher broke it securing his 66th...

Qualifying with the new double elimination format is very exciting this year. Combine that with the impressive showing of the Williams Cosworth and Nico Rosberg's third place grid position, this is starting out to be a pretty good year in F1. Now Rosberg...

Sorry folks. I have not been posting on this blog in the last few weeks as I have been preparing and am now in the midst of the Future of the Desktop Tour , which kicked off this week in Montreal. It has been hectic leading up to the tour and now that...

Giancarlo Fisichella was quite the sight berating Jacques Villeneuve. Fisichela stormed into the BMW Sauber pit lane between the last two sessions of qualifying and looked like he wanted Jacques to step out of his car and go at it mano-a-mano. He was...

Today I spent the morning with a few key individuals reviewing the content we will be presenting at the SQL Server 2005 Launch Event starting in Toronto on November 8. It is always great to get input on how what we will be presenting will resonate with...

Sorry for being so late to post about this, but it has been quite a week. After all, the Malaysin Grand Prix was on at 2am Sunday morning here in Toronto. After going to bed a 5am posting to the blog was replaced by family obligations, which took up the...

I know I said earlier that I would not have too many technical posts or tour info on this blog, but since I am on the tour I thought it worth posting. On May 25, Bruce Cowper and I will kick off the Future of the Desktop Tour in Montreal. The tour will...

I got the following email through this blog from Matt Dean, who attended a couple of Microsoft events at our Missisauga office last week. His second event provided more excitement on the way home then he expected. Here's what he wrote me: Hi Damir...

I told you that this weekend had a couple of important milestones for me. The F1 season is underway and I've blogged about the events of this weekend already (see below). The other big event was the start of the sixth (and final?) season of The Sopranos...

Scott Speed of Scuderia Torro Rosso lost his 8th, and final points-paying position, to David Coulthard after the stewards decided he passed Coulthard when yellow flags were waving. As a result, 25 seconds were added to his time losing him the lone point...

Second update for the night: SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA) v2.0 Beta is now available for download from the following URL: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=E35CEE88-C919-463F-B020-81468CD231DA&displaylang=en . You can...

SQL Server 2005 launches worldwide on November 7. That's less than 4 weeks away!! In Canada we start the country-wide tour on November 8 with our first stop in Toronto. We will then take the launch on the road with stops in Ottawa, Edmonton, Victoria...

One of the things I love about working with the IT Pro team at Microosft is that we get to try new things and see how they work. Right now (1:55pm EST on March 9, 2006) we are streaming the Toronto stop of the Build '06 Tour LIVE on the web. If you can...

The last 8 days have been a whirlwind of activity. I have had the priviliege of being involved in four different events, both for Microsoft and our partners, and presented on four different topics in the process. This presented a bit of a challenge time...

A couple of days ago I was involved in an Oracle Migration Workshop with a partner and client. It was an interesting experience because the client wanted to go from Oracle on a Unix-based platform to SQL Server on Windows. Their reasons were similar to...

Just wanted to give you a quick update on the early registration status for the SQL Server 2005 Launch Tour - Friday is the day. Instead of going back and trying the link to register, hold off until Friday, September 23 and then be one of the first to...