Mat Stephen's SQL Server WebLog : Architects Corner

Microsoft .NET Data Provider for SAP

Mat_Stephen — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 15:07:00 GMT

After my recent SQL 2k5 BI session, here at TVP Reading, I had an enquiry asking for more info regarding the SAP provider I showed in the list of providers available to SQL Server Integration Services . The best public information I can find is @ http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms216599. The provider isn't publicly available at the moment but when the product is released it will be made available for download, and will not be in the box. I don't know a lot about SAP R3 but I believe this provider will also allow access to BW - I'll check, if it doesn't I'll post an edit in the next few days.

Bill Gates - A short chat with Microsoft's Chief Software Architect

Mat_Stephen — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 14:50:00 GMT

Its not really SQL Server, but this short 16min video comes from the guy who ultimately takes resposibility for SQL. Bill is asked a number of interesting questions that put his contimued relationship with Microsoft under the spotlight - like why does he bother working? If you haven't seen Bill speak much - this is a very good cameo.

http://channel9.msdn.com/Showpost.aspx?postid=111598

PS its also a good intro to Channel9

Getting to know SQL 2005 Service Broker

Mat_Stephen — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 00:27:00 GMT

Looks likes I've got to do a presentation on Service Broker for the SQL 2005 launch - so I've been doing some home work on the subject.

The best primer I've found is http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnsql90/html/sqlsvcbroker.asp?frame=true this is refernenced in the webcast http://msevents.microsoft.com/cui/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032263311&EventCategory=5&culture=en-us&CountryCode=US.

Once you've got your head round the basics you'll want to create your ow broker service and queues. Best I've found is "Setting Up a Service Broker Service and Queue" from SQL Server 2005 Books on line at ms-help://MS.SQLCC.v9/MS.SQLSVR.v9.en/smo9/html/f6f1c8b5-393b-48f2-a2b0-184fef683b5c.htm. Problem with this is there's a bug in the code. I can't remember the delta between what's printed and what I have working, but my suggestion is to use the code below to create the TargetStoredProcedure and then comment out the sp.Create(); line in the sample code with //.

Hope you enjoy this new technology - if I discover some new usefulties (a new word I've just invented) in this area, I'll post them in my new 'Service Broker' category

USE [AdventureWorks]
GO
/****** Object: StoredProcedure [dbo].[TargetStoredProcedure] Script Date: 09/12/2005 23:17:28 ******/
SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO
create procedure dbo.TargetStoredProcedure as
DECLARE @message_body varbinary(MAX);
DECLARE @message_type_name nvarchar(128);
DECLARE @conversation_handle uniqueidentifier;
DECLARE @message_iduniqueidentifier uniqueidentifier;
DECLARE @message nvarchar(max);
DECLARE @MessageType nvarchar(max);
Declare @message_id nvarchar(max);

WHILE (1 = 1)
BEGIN
BEGIN TRY
BEGIN TRANSACTION;
WAITFOR (

RECEIVE top(1)
@message_type_name = message_type_name,
@message = message_body,
@conversation_handle = conversation_handle,
@message_id = message_id

FROM TargetQueue
), TIMEOUT 500

IF (@@ROWCOUNT = 0)
BEGIN
ROLLBACK TRANSACTION
BREAK
END;
select @message = N'<Hello>Pong</Hello>';
set @MessageType = '//microsoft.com/ssbdemo/PongMessageType';
SEND ON CONVERSATION @conversation_handle
MESSAGE TYPE @MessageType
(@message);
END CONVERSATION @conversation_handle
COMMIT TRANSACTION
END TRY
BEGIN CATCH
print @@error;
ROLLBACK
CONTINUE
END CATCH
END;
GO
SET ANSI_NULLS OFF
GO
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER OFF

How Do You Deploy SQL Server Reporting Services?

Mat_Stephen — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 13:16:00 GMT

A colleague of mine in the States, Rob Caron, is very keen to learn how our customers are deploying Reporting Services; specifically with respect to IIS.

When we launched Reporting Services (RS) it was all too easy to say it was a ‘free’ addition to the SQL stack, indeed it was supposed to add value. However, many of our customers baulked at the idea of running IIS on the same box as their SQL Server data, this required another box for RS and consequently another license. RS no longer looked free (but it still looked cheaper than Crystal to many people).

Rob has a blog entry @ http://blogs.msdn.com/robcaron/archive/2005/07/13/438580.aspx, where he asks a couple of questions around customers’ RS deployment policy. I think many of our customers have baulked at the idea of having IIS on the same box as SQL Server and consequently haven’t managed to reap the very significant cost savings that were intended. Please visit Rob’s blog and spend two minutes to give us feedback – you could influence future pricing structures in your favour.

SQL Server 2005 JDBC Driver Beta 1 Now Available

Mat_Stephen — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 15:02:00 GMT

Not many people know we have a SQL JDBC driver at all, well now we've got a beta version for SQL Server 2005. It works for a wide variety of OSs including: HP-UX, IBM AIX, Linux, Solaris, Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, or Windows XP. Apparently it goes a lot better than the old (SQL 2000) driver (well we've written this one ourselves), and it will work against SQL 2000 to boot. You can find it here: http://www.microsoft.com/sql/downloads/2005/jdbc.mspx

The SQL Server 2005 JDBC Driver Beta 1 includes:

• Support for SQL Server 2000 & SQL Server 2005

• Support for JDBC 3.0

• Improved performance

• Improved XA transaction support

• BLOB and CLOB support

• Integrated authentication support

• Updateable result sets

Roger Sessions ObjectWatch: TechEd USA - his digest - insight from a true sage that can't be ignored

Mat_Stephen — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 00:55:00 GMT

This issue’s feature article is “Tech-Ed 2005; The Elephant That Wasn’t There”. This article reports on Microsoft’s major Tech-Ed 2005 conference in Orlando earlier this month. This was the conference at which Microsoft laid out its strategy for redefining Corporate IT by directly challenging You-Know-Who. Or maybe you don’t, because Microsoft never mentioned the company that is now its primary target for oblivion. Don’t miss this unique perspective on this important conference.

http://www.objectwatch.com/newsletters/ObjectWatchNewsletter050.pdf

Roger Sessions - always a thought provoking read!