I haven't kept this as up to date as I'd like but the stuff that is here is good to know. I'm going to modify it so other people can add sections to it and it can be a living document, but until then this is all you get.
By Michael K. Campbell In my previous post in my ongoing series on SQL Server database corruption I covered a list of best practices for responding to database corruption when it happens. In that post I mentioned that I’d provide a follow-up post on the specifics of how to execute page-level restore operations from within SQL Server. Page Level Restore Operations As documented in Books Online, SQL Server’s RESTORE DATABASE command has an optional parameter or switch that instructs it to only restore one or more pages instead of an entire database – which is very handy and helpful in dealing with situations in which only a hand-full of pages have been corrupted by some sort of problem with the IO subsystem. Accordingly, the basic order of operations for this kind of operation is as follows Kick the database into single user mode. You can set the database to RESTRICTED_USER, but if you have end-users or applications connecting using logins that map to the db_owner role, they’ll still be able to connect to the database. So use SINGLE_USER mode instead and do NOT close the query window you use to set to SINGLE_USER. To set the database to SINGLE_USER mode, execute the following: ALTER DATABASE SET SINGLE_USER WITH ROLLBACK AFTER 10 SECONDS GO And note that the WITH ROLLBACK AFTER n SECONDS option can/will kill connections and on-going operations. It’s documented in here (towards the end of the page). Likewise note that to pull this recovery operation off you’re, OBVIOUSLY, kicking everyone out of the database. Then, START your recovery process by backing up the tail-end of the log file – or the portion of your log file that hasn’t already been backed up. (This is CRITICAL as it ensures that all operations up to a certain point have been accounted for. And you’ll want to do this AFTER switching the database to SINGLE_USER mode – otherwise you risk allowing a few operations to ‘sneak’ by – which means that end-users or
By Paul Thurrott HTC Titan II offers features such as a good camera that Windows smartphone users would have clamored for--before Nokia Lumia 900. SkyDrive maps cloud-based storage to the PC--but what about its sync capabilities?
Microsoft recently launched Trust Services for Windows Azure, an application-level encryption framework that can be used to protect sensitive data stored on the Windows Azure Platform. Read more...
By Mark Kromer by Mark Kromer This is a follow-up from my blog post last month here on SQL Server Pro about utilizing common traditional reporting tools like Excel and Report Builder with the new SQL Server 2012 Tabular models (http://www.sqlmag.com/blog/sql-server-bi-blog-17/business-intelligence/report-builder-tabular-model-databases-142942) … I’ve received a few notes about some confusion concerning the processes to publish PowerPivot-generated models and the Visual Studio SSDT-generated models to SSAS 2012. I was sent a question pointing to the currently empty Books on Line entry on the “Restore from PowerPivot” technique that I was advocating: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh230822.aspx. So, it seems like a good idea to dive a little deeper into 2 methods to publish your tabular models into SSAS 2012, again without the benefit of SharePoint 2010. In my mind, SharePoint 2012 provides the cleanest and best mechanism to publish PowerPivot-generated models because all you have to do is Save-As and publish to your PowerPivot library and then both the model and the report, if you have any charts in your XLSX, will get published automatically for you. The fact that SharePoint stores the model as an in-memory SSAS cube is golden and saves you many of these steps. That being said, let’s have at it without SharePoint and fill-in those blanks from the on-line help: STEPS TO PUBLISH MODELS TO SSAS 2012 DIRECTLY FROM POWERPIVOT You’ve created a PowerPivot data model that you want to share so that your business can build reports from it. Users will be able to use any tool that can connect to SSAS through the Analysis Services client drivers, including Report Builder, Excel and Power View. You cannot publish it directly from a local client SSMS because SSAS will want to “restore” a database from PowerPivot, which means you need to transfer your XLSX to the server first. Share a folder from the SSAS server and add that shared folder to your local PC/laptop where you’ve crea
By Paul Thurrott An often irreverent look at this week’s other news, including Windows Phone market share surges thanks to Lumia 900, AT&T has big expectations for Windows Phone thanks to Windows 8, fears that Nokia is burning through cash too quickly, buy a new PC and get a free Xbox 360, Windows 8 won’t stop PC makers from bundling crapware, Twitter joins Do Not Track, HP reportedly cutting 30,000 jobs next week, and Verizon Wireless effectively kills grandfathered unlimited data.
By Paul Thurrott Just hours after Microsoft launched the biggest revamp of its Bing search engine since its inception 3 years earlier, the search industry’s 800-pound gorilla announced an update of its own.
By Paul Thurrott Microsoft rolled out a set of previously announced changes to Bing that represents the biggest overhaul to its search service since its debut 3 years ago.
By Paul Thurrott There’s been an interesting debate lately about whether Microsoft’s ARM-based derivative of Windows 8, called Windows RT, is really Windows.
By Paul Thurrott With this week’s launch of the AMD “Trinity” processor chipsets—now renamed to the more pedestrian 2nd-Generation A-Series APUs, or Accelerated Processing Units—both of the major microprocessor makers are armed for battle.
By Paul Thurrott Staffers for the US Senate Judiciary Committee will examine allegations that Microsoft is unfairly limiting its web browser competitors in the version of Windows 8 aimed at ARM-based tablets.
By Paul Thurrott Yahoo! CEO Scott Thompson has resigned from the company after only four months on the job, in the wake of an academic-padding controversy triggered by an activist shareholder proxy battle.
By Paul Thurrott An often irreverent look at this week’s other news, including the start of the Windows 8 Upgrade offer, a rumor about an Xbox 360 version of IE, Xbox 360 continues to rule a rapidly declining video game market, Google preps for a massive US antitrust case, Nokia ships an eBook reader app but only in Europe, Amazon readies a color e-ink Kindle, Facebook is set to open its own app store, and Yahoo’s CEO doesn’t actually have a computer science degree.
By Paul Robichaux Exchange 15 could require an Active Directory upgrade, but unless there’s a technical reason to require it, Microsoft could be hurting itself to require one.
By Paul Thurrott The makers of the two biggest web browser competitors to Internet Explorer are complaining that the version of Windows 8 aimed at ARM-based tablets, called Windows RT, will not support any desktop browser other than Microsoft’s.
By Blair Greenwood Lookout Mobile Security is a free smartphone app for Android and iPhone devices that provides end users with an easy way to secure their device.
By Paul Thurrott Just four months after kicking off its “Smoked by Windows Phone” campaign, Microsoft is claiming that more than 50,000 competing smartphones have been defeated by Windows Phone. That’s a 98 percent winning percentage overall.
By Zoiner Tejada Zoiner Tejada shows you how to enable a Windows Azure website to support more authentication providers than just ASP.NET SQL Membership and roles (for example, Windows Live ID, Facebook). The solution uses the open source thinktecture IdentityServer Security Token Service along with an Access Control Service namespace add support for federated identity to your website.
By Jeff James A fundamental shift in what firewalls are expected to do has led to a new class of products known as Next Generation Firewalls and many new features.
By Paul Thurrott This week, Microsoft’s Steven Sinofsky issued another lengthy Building Windows 8 blog post in which he described upcoming changes to file management operations in Windows 8. But an accompanying video actually reveals a few other interesting Explorer tidbits, so I’m rolling up my sleeves and getting back to work.
By Brian Moran Is aggressive use of software patents beginning to have a negative affect on the technology business? Brian Moran thinks so, and here’s why.
