Mat Stephen's Azure Data Services Blog

All things Azure Data Services (previously All things SQL Server). Complied by Matthew Stephen - Data Solutions Architect (Azure), Microsoft UK

Webcasts - Business Intelligence using SQL Server 2005

The marketing people here at Microsoft, have asked me to advertise a new series of BI webcasts using...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 05/03/2005

Another Blog with an interesting fuzzy logic example using SQL Server Integration Services to process web server logs

For those of you interested in implementing fuzzy logic in SQL Server Integration Services Jamie...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 05/03/2005

SQL Server Reporting Services: Secure reports, passing parameters and User!UserID

After taking a customer query regarding securing report parameters I found this blog entry from...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/27/2005

Yankee Group identified a sharp rise in companies' assessment of Microsoft's security level

For 3 or 4 years I’ve been telling people how Microsoft has made security and privacy the number one...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/26/2005

Top Tip SQL Server Reporting Services fields cannot be used in headers or footers - work around

I'm grateful to Chris Hayes for this top tip. Reporting Services doesn't like you using data fields...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/26/2005

SAP and Microsoft Create 'Mendocino' Product to integrate Office, Exchange and SAP

Microsoft and SAP are to release a joint product to bring Office, Exchange and SAP together - code...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/26/2005

SQL Server 2005 Integration Services - Migrating SQL Server 2000 DTS tasks

I have extracted the following from a useful article: SQL Server 2005 Integration Services: Lessons...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/26/2005

SQL Server 2005 feature comparison by edition

You can find which editons of SQL Server 2005 have which feature @...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/25/2005

Download Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition: Community Technology Preview April 2005

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition: Community Technology Preview April 2005 Download the...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/24/2005

SP2 for Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is now ready for download

The Reporting Services team has just released Service Pack 2 of SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services!...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/24/2005

Additional code samples based on the Business Intelligence Portal

Following on from my post https://blogs.technet.com/mat_stephen/archive/2005/02/01/364612.aspx that...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/20/2005

Want to hear the latest on SQL Server 2005 from the big cheese? Want to get a go-live-license for SQL Serever 2005 Express Edition?

I want to share with you a letter from Paul Flessner that has been sent to 'Testers of SQL Server...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/19/2005

TechNet Roadshow Example code for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Table partitioning

For those who want to give this a try, this is the code I've been using on the 2K5 H1 roadshow for...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/18/2005

Get SQL Server Analysis Services OLAP Online on your PDA Pocket PC

Have you ever been asked to do OLAP on a PDA – Pocket PC. If you have this...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/15/2005

Feature comparison: Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services vs Business Objects Crystal Reports / Crystal Enterprise

At last, here is a feature comparison between Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services vs...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/15/2005

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Educational Webcast Series on TechNet

Sorry I'm a little late in alerting you to this SQL Server 2005 Educational Webcast Series on...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/15/2005

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 fuzzy logic in matching and grouping - how does it work in SQL Server Integration Services?

Following on from a presentation 'First Look at SQL Server Integeration Services' to some MVPs here...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/07/2005

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Virtual Labs on MSDN

Are you ready to experience SQL Server 2005? Announcing the launch of the SQL Server 2005 Virtual...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/05/2005

UK Technical Roadshow – a few places left so hurry if you want one

There are three technical tracks at the 2 day roadshow this year. The second day is a ‘SQL Server...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/05/2005

Two new free Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Report Packs released for IIS and Great Plains

From the blog hits I received the last time I posted some info on free report packs available for...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 04/04/2005

The Final Word in Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Backup, Restore and recovery

I am pleased to be able to point you to the last word in SQL Server 2000 Backup and Restore methods....

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 03/30/2005

First Microsoft-SAP Collaboration Brief from Microsoft on loading data from SAP BW into SQL Server Anlaysis Srevices

It's a great pleasure to announce the first Microsoft Collaboration Brief on an official SAP site,...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 03/29/2005

Questions arising from TechNet Webcast: Business Intelligence on the Microsoft Platform 23rd March.

Thanks to all of you who tuned in to this webcast last week. Sorry this post is a little late, no...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 03/29/2005

Forthcoming UK Microsoft SQL Server Business Intelligence Webcasts.

I shall be presenting this first webcast myself and hosting the other two – hope you can join in. 23...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 03/22/2005

Microsoft SQL Server - Reporting Services Scripter - a free tool from sqldbatips.com

I’m grateful to Andy Steer of Contemporary, one of our Gold BI Partners here in the UK, for pointing...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 03/21/2005

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services – Unified Dimensional Model (UDM). Can you get your head round it? If you do BI, you’ll need to!

There are very many, and from my own professional perspective, too many (I’ve got to try and learn...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 03/10/2005

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 - The Pricing, The Editions, and the Edition's Features

All ye! All ye! The pricing, the editions and the features available in the editions of SQL 2005...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 03/09/2005

Microsoft SQL Server Resource Kit tools - 'Free' with MSDN and TechNet

Okay so these tools aren't totally free but I didn't really have anywhere else to categorise them....

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 03/01/2005

Office Excel Add-in for Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services – its free, its powerful and it could save you money!

Well I’ve been blogging for a 11 weeks or so and looking at my stats I can see the posts that...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/23/2005

Office Business Scorecards Accelerator – the ultimate marriage of business and intellgence. Another free application from Microsoft

At first glance, particularly if you’re a jaundiced techie like me, you may think the Balanced...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/17/2005

Reporting Services : 21 Report packs released to the web for free download

Just incase you missed this freebie: Report Packs SQL Server 2000 Report Pack for Microsoft...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/14/2005

Its Sunbelieveable: Sun’s First Windows - Microsoft SQL Server SAP Benchmark and Certification

Actually, I reckon it must be Sun’s first Windows - SQL Server benchmark ever, unless you know...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/11/2005

SQL Server Performance Top Tip: SQL Server User Mode Scheduler (UMS) – understanding it can explain some odd performance

When performing batch jobs where you wish to run processes in parallel it is important to understand...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/10/2005

Migrate your legacy Oracle databases to SQL Server - Tools you need to do the conversion

Its a question that comes up more and more as people realise they can take advantage of SQL Server's...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/09/2005

Microsoft SQL Server Performance Top Tip: Degrees of Parallelism and a Degree of Uncertainty

Max degree of parallelism is an advanced configuration option in SQL Server about which many...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/08/2005

Blogcast - Creating a simple Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services report using the Report Wizard

Following the trend I've created my first Blogcast - Creating a simple SQL Server Reporting Services...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/04/2005

SQL Server SP4 Beta is still Open

SQL Server SP4 Beta is still Open. Customers can sign up here for the SP4 Beta Program...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/02/2005

Microsoft SQL Server Performance Top Tip: Multi Processor (SMP) sudden death syndrome.

You’ve been really proud of your nice new multi processor box, its got eight processors and some...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/02/2005

Microsoft SQL Server Performance Top Tip: Multi Processor (SMP) Box Doesn’t Use All It’s Processors

Seen this? You’ve got a nice new sparkling multi processor box, packed with ‘go-faster’ chips but...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/02/2005

I'm trying to find some detail on Patch management / deployment on a 4 SQL Server node cluster?

Stephen Daborn asked this question on my High Availability blog entry and I didn't get back before...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/01/2005

Business Intelligence Portal Sample Application for Microsoft Office

A good number of people have told me just how useful this sample application is: Business...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/01/2005

TechNet Webcast: Troubleshooting Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (Level 200) Friday, February 04, 2005 - 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM Pacific Time

Friday, February 04, 2005 - 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM Pacific Time Bryan Von Axelson, TechNet Presenter,...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/01/2005

Our 64 bit SQL Server case studies can be found @...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/01/2005

Using Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services against SAP - and other Application Partners for Reporting Services

Do you want to use Microsoft Reporting Services to report data from SAP R/3 and SAP BW? Then check...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/01/2005

Microsoft and SAP Deliver Integration of SAP NetWeaver and .NET with Visual Studio .NET 2003-Integrated Portal Development Kit for .NET (PDK)

This tool has been long awaited, now its arrived SAP developers can combine the power of .NET with...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/01/2005

Convert Crystal Reports to SQL Server Reporting Services

I’ve been asked many times if Microsoft provide a tool for converting legacy Crystal Reports to SQL...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 02/01/2005

SQL Server Lock Escalation – Friend of Foe?

Sometimes I hear the comment that someone can’t get their application to scale above 50 – 100 users;...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 01/31/2005

SP I promised during TechNet Gig on SQL Performance which will identify blocking spid at top of blocking chain : sp_blocker_pss80

Please follow the link below to the MS KB article containing the above SP. Note the 'fast' parameter...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 01/26/2005

CREATE proc track_waitstats & CREATE proc get_waitstats - useful code for diagnosing SQL 2000 performance

For those attending my TechNet SQL 2000 performance tuning session at TVP Reading on Tuesday 25th...

Author: Mat_stephen_1 Date: 01/24/2005

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