SQL Server Radio

Guy and Eitan discuss change automation tricks for databases, do a round-up of the newest scripts in the Madeira Toolbox, and more.

Relevant links:

• Database Change Automation:
  • DbaTools
  • sp_generate_merge by Daniel Nolan (readyroll)
  • Add support for "Prevent saving changes that require table re-creation" option in SqlPackage / SSDT (Azure Feedback)
    • (New feedback item at Microsoft Q&A)
• Madeira Toolbox Round-Up:
  • Missing Indexes with High Impact
  • Increase Database File in Specified Increments
  • SSRS Deployment Powershell script
  • Update RegisterAllProvidersIP and HostRecordTTL in all AG Clusters (multi-subnet best practice)
• AT TIME ZONE Performance Issues (Jonathan Kehayias)
• More about AT TIME ZONE (Jonathan Kehayias)
• Dativerse event by DataGrillen on August 13th

Guy and Eitan shoot the breeze about several interesting topics that you wouldn't want to miss out on!

Relevant links:

• SQL Server 2016 going out of mainstream support
• Intelligent Query Processing Capabilities in SQL Server
• Group by conference recordings on YouTube
• Dynamic search queries in T-SQL - THE NINJA WAY - by Eitan Blumin
• SQL Data Partners Episode 227: SSDT Methodologies for DB DevOps
• Data Platform Meetup Israel:
  • Call for Speakers
  • Wait Statistics - Torsten Strauss
  • Great Reasons to Run Your Cloud App on Azure SQL MI - Niko Neugebauer
  • 6 Techniques to Make SQL Server Speedometer Go Crazy - Amit Bansal
• Decrypting MSSQL Credential Passwords - NetSPI Blog
• How to Protect SQL Server from Hackers and Penetration Tests - Eitan Blumin
• Handy Powershell script templates to rule them all
• How to create indexed views ONLINE - by Michael J. Swart
• SQLCMD Template for Creating an Indexed View Online and Gradually Migrate Data Into it

Today we go over a list written by Kevin Chant about a year ago, and add some of our own insights.

Relevant links:

• Ten comments I think every SQL Server DBA wants to say | Kevin Chant
• Eitan's T-SQL Tuesday blog posts about automation and productivity:
  • T-SQL Tuesday #123 – Life hacks to make your day easier
  • T-SQL Tuesday #127 – Tips and Tricks to Automate Your Life
  • T-SQL Tuesday #130 – Eitan's Laws of Automation
  • T-SQL Tuesday #135: The Tools of My Trade
• Test-DbaBackup Powershell cmdlet for automated restore tests
• Maintenance Script for Integrity Checks split into buckets per weekday
• How to Find which user deleted the database in SQL Server
• SQLWatch.io

We have two very special guests in today's show: the AzureSQL rockstars Anna Hoffman and Bob Ward!

Some relevant links:

• Azure SQL Fundamentals | Microsoft Learn
• Azure SQL for beginners | YouTube Playlist
• Digital event: Transform Your Applications with Azure SQL
• http://aka.ms/newsupdate
• https://aka.ms/sqlworkshops
• DataMinutes | Data Grillen
• SQL Saturday official site

Guy and Eitan discuss lots of interesting recent news, and also about various technical topics in SQL Server.

Relevant links:

• News about PASS and SQL Saturday:

  • What's next for PASS Summit this fall? Ideas forum

  • The SQL Saturday Foundation Board of Directors

  • The new Azure Data Community webpage from Microsoft

  • PASS Summit 2020 session recordings

  • PASS Pro Educational Series at Red Gate University

• Data Saturday #1 Recordings Available on YouTube
• Around the Clock with Azure SQL and Azure Data Factory
• Microsoft Ignite 2021 Book of News
• Azure retiring a lot of services on February 29, 2024
• Azure Tips and Tricks: 5 Things you didn't know about Azure SQL Database
• SQL Server Automatic Tuning
• SQL Server Transaction Log And High Availability Solutions - Pros and Cons and more | Destin Joy
• Classic GUI issue or how to fix MAX Server memory too low | Vitaly Bruk

Check out the episode where we start movements to change the way everyone writes T-SQL code, and/or deliver data platform meetups!

And we also talk about a bunch of other stuff as well.

Relevant Links:

• Join the SQL Server Community Slack and our new channel #SQLServerRadio !
• Ask Us Anything: Database Performance Tuning and Optimization | Data Platform Meetup Israel
• Redgate Software takes over from PASS and commits to the future of the Summit, SQLSaturday and the community
• Educational Series (Red-Gate University)
• Database DevOps Considerations for SQL Server Availability Groups
• GenerateDeployReport method of DacServices | Microsoft Docs
• Database DevOps Implementation | Madeira Data Solutions
• I learned to love WHILE (true) and you should too | Eitan Blumin
• We're taking Azure certifications for data and AI to the next level | Microsoft Tech Community
• Azure Data Fundamentals: Explore Core Data Concepts (Part 1) | Microsoft Reactor Tel-Aviv Meetup
• Watching out for Deferred Name Resolution

We have a special topic for today, where we talk about our own managed DBA service, and how we ended up choosing SentryOne SQL Sentry as our go-to monitoring platform for SQL Servers.

Relevant links with more details:

• DBSmart - The Managed DBA Service from Madeira Data Solutions
• SentryOne SQL Sentry
• clr_http_request - CLR assembly to send HTTP web requests from within SQL Server
• Case study - UPDATE STATISTICS causing TempDB stress and Availability Group fail-overs
• Madeira Data Solutions is a SentryOne Partner

Guy and Eitan host a very special guest and speak about various SQL Server and Data Platform topics, and recent events.

Relevant links: for more details

• Cassandra - Use cases: when to use and when not to use
• Community call for creating the fastest number series generator | Itzik Ben Gan
• SQL Server Feature Request: Adding Multi-column IN clause support by SQL Server
• mysqlbinlog — Utility for Processing MySQL Binary Log Files
• FAQ about the dissolution of PASS | Andy Mallon
• PASS alternatives and related links:
  • SQLSatHistory.com
  • SQLUGs.com
  • DataSaturdays Project (SQLCollaborative)
  • Microsoft resources for the SQL Server and Azure Data community
• SQL Governor - Proactive Microsoft SQL Server optimization, consolidation, and rightsizing powered by machine learning
• Columnstore indexes: Overview | Microsoft Docs
• The SolarWinds Orion Hack
• How to Protect SQL Server from Hackers and Penetration Tests | Eitan Blumin

Guy and Eitan take a break from talking about the PASS virtual summit, and celebrate with some interesting content.

Relevant links:

• Notes on the PASS Virtual Summit by Andy Warren:
  • Part 1
  • Part 2
  • Part 3
  • Part 4
  • Part 5
  • Part 6
  • Conclusions
• Satirical DBA Twitter accounts:
  • @TrumpDBA
  • @Bernie_DBA
  • @biden_dba
• Concatenating Strings in SQL Server | Guy Glantser
• Making a more reliable and flexible sp_MSforeachdb | Aaron Bertrand
• PrintMAX by Ben Dill
• PrintMaxMinified by Eitan Blumin
• Access Violation Error querying from system functions with parallelism
• SQL Server Cumulative Update releases are paused until end of December
• SQL Server TOP clause performance problem with parallelism | Neeraj Prasad Sharma
• What is MaxDOP controlling? | Pedro Lopes

Our guest for today is Yitzhak Khabinsky, a subject-matter expert on XML in SQL Server (among other impressive titles).

We deep dive into the topic of XML, its history, its purpose and limitations within SQL Server, and fascinating capabilities that you never knew about... And also, how does JSON fit in this whole story?

• Yitzhak Khabinsky | LinkedIn
• Azure Feedback item to update XML API engine in SQL Server
• Azure Feedback item to improve JSON capabilities in SQL Server