As part of the BIEB series, a short video of mine explaining Microsoft's BI capability has been published on The Australian newspaper website. Hope you find it informative and quickly summarises the concept of PowerPivot coming out shortly in SQL Server...

SQL Server 2008 SP2 is scheduled for release in Q3/CY2010. SQL Server 2005 SP4. Yes there is going to be one. Expected release data is in Q4/CY2010. Based on current support volume as well as the fact that SQL Server 2005 will enter into extended support...

We launched the Excelerators Quiz and the Alpha Geek Challenge. Go now to the sites below and take the quiz to see if you’re anywhere near as good as Donald Farmer!  Remember to post your results on Facebook and Twitter or even challenge a friend...

Well with a great product release like SQL Server 2008 and many many features like Geospatial support, data visualisation with reporting services, DW optimisations and many other bells and whistles; one can be kept busy for a long long time. And it only...

      .. SQL Server Webinar Microsoft SQL Server Fast Track Data Warehouse for Hewlett-Packard: Technical Overview and Reference Architecture This webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, January 13, 2010 11:00 AM Eastern/8:00 AM Pacific and...

I have been doing some loading of random text in tables, but wanted to make changes to some of the text in rows, instead of running a full update operation, I discovered that you can also use TSQL functions REPLACE or STUFF to change text. Below are examples...

Even though this is not related to SQL Server, I thought I would share it, as we know SQL Server runs on top of a OS – and it is always handy to know how we can configure the OS. PRODUCTIVITY TIP Do you spend precious time trying to find the right place...

I was recently just asked for some best practices on SSIS, and put together a collection of the below whitepapers/articles that discuss good practices for SSIS package design/development. · Top 10 SQL Server Integration Services Best Practices - http...

One of the key areas for the SQL Server 2008 release is to be a scalable Data Warehousing platform. Many organisations have deployed it – with DW ranging from 1TB well into the 60-80TB. So what makes SQL Server 2008 Enterprise a better choice than SQL...

You have no doubt heard that with SQL Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008 R2 we can now address 256 processors. This is all good in theory – now see a video showing off some of the latest hardware from Unisys running pre-release versions of SQL Server...

SQL Server 2005 SP2 support will be retired on the 12th January 2010. Now is a good time to start planning upgrades of applications to SQL Server 2005 SP3 or SQL Server 2008 (were possible). Link: http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/search/default...

Well then follow the below link and you can launch an virtual lab that takes you through the PowerPivot add-in. The only thing you need to install is an ActiveX control to let you access the virtual lab environment. https://cmg.vlabcenter.com/default...

SQL Server PowerPivot is an innovative data analysis technology that redefines how organizations apply and succeed with BI. IT managers can deliver corporate BI solutions and also establish a managed BI collaboration environment that gives business users...

The November CTP download is available for MSDN and TechNet subscribers. The public download is available here . The Data Platform Insider blog provides an overview of what's new in CTP release for SQL Server 2008 R2.

Many of you new SQL Server DBAs may be wondering what are the things to lookout for to effectively maintain a production SQL Server database. Paul Randal has written an excellent article on this very topic, and it covers the following points: Managing...

Two new premium editions in SQL Server 2008 R2 SQL Server 2008 R2 Datacenter Built on SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise, SQL Server 2008 R2 Datacenter delivers a high-performing data platform that provides the highest levels of scalability for large application...

This white paper describes the technologies available in SQL Server 2008 that can be used as part of a high-availability strategy to protect critical data. As well as describing the technologies in detail, the white paper also discusses the various causes...

Many companies are considering or have already implemented consolidation of computing resources, including Microsoft SQL Server instances and databases, in their organization. A consolidation effort is a complex task that requires information, a detailed...

PowerPivot for Excel is a data analysis tool that delivers unmatched computational power directly within the application users already know and love—Microsoft Excel. Leveraging familiar Excel features, users can transform enormous quantities of data from...

Come and join me for a lunchtime session at tomorrows SQL Server user group meeting. Following are the details:   Date: 7th October 2009 Time: 12:00pm Location: Westpac, 275 Kent St, Sydney NSW 2000 Session Details Learn how to leverage Policy Based...

SQL Server 2008 R2 introduces new management tools to help improve IT efficiency and productivity. Investments in application and multi-server management will help organizations proactively manage database environments efficiently at scale through centralized...

I highly recommend that you read the following whitepaper on achieving high availability with SQL Server 2008 if you are planning or currently designing a high availability solution for your SQL Server environment. This whitepaper goes through the architecture...

Keep your system up to date with the most recent cumulative update package for SQL Server 2008 RTM. This package contains all of the SQL Server 2008 hotfixes that have been released since the initial release of SQL Server 2008 RTM. o Understanding...

If the answer to those questions is YES!! Then you don’t want to miss my talk about SQL Server consolidation/virtualisation. And the best part is you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your office. This is a virtual conference that can be accessed...

Just got back from sunny Gold Coast, with what I can say was a very successful Teched, at least from my perspective and the many attendees I talked to. I think the biggest thing this year at Teched were the HP mini Netbooks. They were widely used by...