A while back I started keeping a list of all the things I learned to make working with SSIS less painful and I thought I’d share. These are small things: tips, tricks and hints. Just stuff I wish I had known when I first started working with SSIS.
Continue Reading…
Archive - Technology
RSS Feed
Tips, Tricks and Hints for Using SSIS from A-Z
SSIS Output to Multiple Files
Let’s say a user asks you to create a flat file output from a database query. Piece of cake. Open SSMS, write the query, run it and copy the results (with headers using SSMS 2008) into a text file. Send the user the file and and you’re done with time left over for a siesta.
But oh wait—they want to be able to open it in an older version of Excel, which will only display ~ 65k rows per sheet. This file has 190k rows. So they ask you to write the output to multiple files, limiting the total rows per file to 60k.
Now what?
You could simply open the raw flat file, go to line 60,001 and cut-paste lines 60,001–120,000 into another file and repeat as necessary. That’s ok for a one-off task but not a good strategy if you are going to be doing this several times. It can be cumbersome and error prone to manually create several files this way.
No—the better approach is to make SSIS do the heavy lifting. I had to do this recently and thought I’d share my solution. Continue Reading…
The Well-Dressed DBA
Don’t laugh.
You may not be aware of this fact but DBAs (database administrators) are actually world renowned for their impeccable display of sartorial savvy. What the average man knows about fashion would fit nicely within a CHAR(4) field. What the DBA knows about fashion requires a VARCHAR(MAX) field. At least.
By the way, the author would have you know that he can speak with total and complete authority on female DBA fashion as well as male. But he will let a female DBA tackle her own sex. Today he will tackle only the male.
Moving right along then, we will begin at the bottom and work our way to the top. Continue Reading…
SQL Server 2005 How to Change Default Backup Location
In SQL Server 2005, you can easily change the default location for log and data files. Open SSMS and connect to the instance you want to configure. Right-click on the instance and choose properties. Then select the Database Settings page and change the Database default locations.
Clickity-click-done. (I know, being a DBA can be tough sometimes. That’s why they pay us the big bucks Sparky.) Continue Reading…
The DBA’s Desk
It is Friday and thankfully I’m knee-deep in SQL Server work today (instead of, say, sitting in meetings). It seemed like the perfect opportunity to open the kimono a bit and show you what the DBA’s desk looks like.
This was only partially staged. I got rid of the dust bunnies.
This shot showcases the non-computer tools required by the proficient DBA. Each item was carefully selected and is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL to accomplishing the DBA’s job. I’ll explain. Continue Reading…
Resources for Learning More About SQL Server Internals
A while back, I spent about a month working through several SQL Server performance issues after upgrading three systems from SQL Server 2000 to SQL Server 2005. During that time I would realize that my knowledge of how SQL actually manages data at a low level was sketchy. In the process of resolving said sketchiness, I came across a few resources that proved helpful. Continue Reading…
What Programming Language Should I Learn?
A few months ago, the CT Web Innovators met and we covered a lot of ground in two hours: SEO, AdSense, web hosting, CSS, programming, and then some. Phew! It was a good meeting. A question that came up a few times from newer members of the group was a variation of:
Which programming language should I start with?
Ask this question at a table of 10 programmers and you’re likely to get as many different answers. That really doesn’t help the person asking the question much. Continue Reading…
Naming Conventions for Servers
This is a quick PSA on naming conventions for servers. I’m going to give you a quick “don’t ever do it like this” example to start. Continue Reading…
The Twitter Engineering Blog
If you are technical minded, the The Twitter Engineering Blog is a fascinating read. I love seeing how others have handled tough technical problems. Twitter has had to solve a lot of them and I’m sure there are plenty more on the road that lies ahead, so the blog should be interesting.
Technical Support and Troubleshooting
In 2007 I did a one year stint providing technical support to our clients. During that time I put together a one page guide on support and troubleshooting to help other people. A little later that year, I spent time training in Kepner-Tregoe’s KT Resolve process. KT Resolve was a lot more in depth than what I came up with but similar in a couple of ways. I found KT Resolve to be a thorough process but too formal and heavy for most situations I encountered. Continue Reading…