Web-based applications run smoother if instead of using the traditional form method, they use JavaScript to post data to the server and to update the user interface after posting data: It also makes it easier to keep POST and GET actions separated. SignalR makes it even slicker; it can even update multiple pages at the same time. Is it time to use JavaScript to post data rather than posting via the browser the traditional way?… Read more
Michael Fal is a huge advocate of automation and many ways it can improve the lives of developers and DBAs alike, but you can't just automate all your problems away. The real challenge is breaking down barriers and having developers and DBAs functioning smoothly together. You may have heard of DevOps, and so Mike explores what the buzz might mean for database administrators.… Read more
All DBAs need to engage in a little project management to help make sure everything runs smoothly. In this extract from the book Tribal SQL, David Tate explains his system for managing workload, coleagues, and projects, and how not to be just "the guy who says no".… Read more
Every DBA needs to know about SQLPSX, the PowerShell module library that is built by DBAs for DBAs, and designed to provide intuitive functions around the SMO objects. It makes the automation of database administration easier across all versions of SQL Server since SQL Server 2000. Laerte Junior, who is one of the developers on the open-source project, describes how to use it.… Read more
Sometimes, you can tire of writing the same PowerShell code once again. After this happened to Phil whilst keying in an SMO pipeline to access databases, it occurred to him that he should have only one pipeline to access databases in PowerShell, one reusable pipelin… Read more
In the first of a series of articles on automating the process of building, modifying and copying SQL Server databases, Phil Factor demonstrates how one can generate TSQL scripts for databases, selected database objects, or table contents from PowerShell and SMO.… Read more
.NET 4.0 introduced the Dynamic keyword in C#4.0, making it simple to have your .NET code smoothly interact with dynamic languages. To find out just how easy it was, Zenon Ochal used C# and IronPython to build a very efficient mathematical expression plotter in double-quick time.… Read more
Mailboxes moves happen all the time, and given how precious the data in mailboxes can be, you should know exactly how to monitor their progress and make sure they transition smoothly. You also need to know what happens when something goes wrong. Johan imparts the necessary skills.… Read more
In his previous article, Antoine Khater made sure that every Exchange SysAdmin knew how to backup their servers. Now that you've got your backups running smoothly, his latest no-nonsense guide covers exacty how to restore everything ranging from whole servers down to individual mailboxes and items, and how to do it fast.… Read more
Desmond explains the fundamentals of building a test lab for Windows servers and Enterprise applications from scratch using Hyper-V on a supported x64 machine. He even suggest tips and tricks to help make the journey smoother.… Read more
Allen White shows how to use Visual Basic to create simple routines that use SMO for inserting and deleting jobs from SQL Server Agent and for creating or deleting stored procedures in SQL Server. … Read more
The most important thing you can do as a database administrator is perform regular database maintenance. This includes regular backups, database integrity checks and optimizations. In Part 1 of a three article series, Allen White shows how to automate the backup of all of your databases, using SQL Server Management Objects (SMO) and either native backup or Red Gate's SQL Backup tool.… Read more
In part 3 of Dan Sullivan's in-depth exploration of PowerSMO, the versatile command line utility for managing SQL Server databases, he describes how to control the identity that SMO uses to login to SQL Server, how to set up Server activity monitoring, and how to create standalone PowerSMO scripts, suitable for use in a production environment.… Read more
Dan Sullivan delves deeper into PowerSMO, the versatile command line utility for managing SQL Server databases. Using a certificate strategy, he provides a step-by-step guide to creating and deploying secure, signed DBA scripts. He then describes how to use PowerSMO functions to manage the extended properties of SQL Server objects.… Read more
Most DBAs don't have time to perform routine processes manually. Everything has to be scripted, automated and scheduled. Here, Dan Sullivan describes how a combination of PowerShell and SMO ("PowerSMO") can provide a familiar but powerful command line tool for managing common SQL Server tasks.… Read more
Is your IT project in trouble? Do you need to create a smokescreen so that no-one can pin the blame on you? No problem! Marvel at Phil Factor's versatile use of T-SQL functions in creating the "ultimate excuse database" and then start generating your excuses immediately!
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