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August 2005 - Posts

Wednesday, August 31, 2005 10:34 AM

SQL 2005 - UPSERT: In nature but not by name; but at last!

SQL Server has long been criticised for not having an UPSERT command, well now in SQL 2005 we have some good news, we have two new TSQL set operators that give us the complex insert/update logic that constitute an UPSERT.  These are INTERSECT and
posted by Mat_Stephen | 1 Comments
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Tuesday, August 30, 2005 4:27 PM

Project REAL—Business Intelligence in Practice - great website!

For sometime a group of Program Managers from the SQL BI team have been working with a customer, Barnes and Noble, to produce a SQL BI solution for their data warehouse and analysis needs using SQL 2005.  The leasons learnt from all their work is
posted by Mat_Stephen | 0 Comments
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Thursday, August 25, 2005 1:23 PM

64 Bit performance v 32 bit performance - some compelling evidence

More and more ITPros are looking for help in deciding between 64 bit and 32 bit boxes, often they are looking for evidence that 64 bit is worth the investment and worth the risk (of adopting a new platform). This link http://www.microsoft.com/sql/64bit/productinfo/winhecdemo.mspx
posted by Mat_Stephen | 1 Comments
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Tuesday, August 23, 2005 5:11 PM

Upgrading a SQL Replication Topology

Jonathan Allen wrote to me asking what order one should upgrade servers in a replication topology - pointing out that this doesn't seem obviouis from Books On Line, which I agree. The answer is essentially the same as for any previous upgrade: 
posted by Mat_Stephen | 2 Comments
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Friday, August 19, 2005 3:47 PM

Fame at last: Ten Useful Microsoft Blogs

Redmondmag.com have published an article 'Ten Useful Microsoft Blogs' @ http://www.redmondmag.com/columns/article.asp?EditorialsID=1044 Guess who's number 2? Also at number 10 is the UKs own Industry Insiders blog http://blogs.technet.com/industry%5Finsiders/. 
posted by Mat_Stephen | 3 Comments
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Friday, August 19, 2005 2:20 PM

Blogcasts: SQL Server 2000 - Configuring System Monitor & Monitoring SQL Server performance & Configuring alerts

Three new SQL Server 2000 blogcasts out of Redmond: Demo 4-1 Configuring System Monitor                     http://www.microsoft.com/winme/0506/24231/TNT1-160_Demo_4-1.asxDemo
posted by Mat_Stephen | 1 Comments
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Friday, August 19, 2005 11:24 AM

Reporting Services: Calling an aspx page from a report and passing a parameter

Sudhi recently asked me how to call an aspx page from a report and pass a parameter held in a textbox, or other control. My solution is: Drag a textbox control on to the report and enter the value "2005/07/28/408325" (without the the quotes) in to it. 
posted by Mat_Stephen | 0 Comments
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Thursday, August 18, 2005 12:25 PM

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Preview Software for UK customers

If you're in the UK and you'd like to get your hands on the 'Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Preview Software' then please visit: http://www.microsoft.com/uk/windowsserversystem/sql/2005/evaluate.aspx  
posted by Mat_Stephen | 0 Comments
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Tuesday, August 16, 2005 11:49 AM

SQL Server Reporting Services Report Packs - looking for suggestions

when I was over in the US recently, I attended a 'Bill Baker and team unplugged' session, (Bill is the GM for SQL Server Business Intelligence).  Reporting Services Report packs came up as a topic for discussion.  The team asked the audience
posted by Mat_Stephen | 5 Comments
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Friday, August 12, 2005 2:36 PM

Follow up on XPs and SQLiMail question from SQL Server™ 2005 Management and Admin TechNet evening 28/7/05

Sorry for the delay in getting these answers posted but my trip to the US and some hols have got in the way. I was asked if SQL Express could handle Extended Stored Procedures unlike msde.  The answer is msde can handle XPs and so can SQL Express. 
posted by Mat_Stephen | 0 Comments
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Thursday, August 04, 2005 3:08 AM

Letter from America 3 - Mischievous reports and feeding the 5000

After all my messing around yesterday, I've decided to create this post in pocket word. I attended a securty session yesterday and was reminded of an issue that can send DBAs scuttling from the room when they learn of it's presence, the 'trojan report'.
posted by Mat_Stephen | 0 Comments
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Wednesday, August 03, 2005 2:06 AM

Letter from America 2

I've had a really hard time with my iPaq today.  First thing this morning I couldn't get it to connect to anything.  For ages I poked about - everything looked fine.  Then eventually I found, in the asset viewer, that I had no IP address. 
posted by Mat_Stephen | 6 Comments
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Monday, August 01, 2005 10:58 PM

Letter from America 1

I'm in Seattle this week at Microsoft's first TechReady conference. What's more I'm totally mobile; I didn't bring my laptop. Instead I'm relying on my iPaq with built in wireless and bluetooth.1 To help me type I'm trialing a software keyboard I downloaded
posted by Mat_Stephen | 2 Comments
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