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- Using advanced table hints in SQL Server
- Tim Chapman explores the benefits and side effects of using three types of table hints when running queries in SQL Server: READCOMMITTED, REPEATABLEREAD, and SERIALIZABLE. My previous SQL Server column covered two types of table hints: NOLOCK and READPAST. This article explores the advantages and drawbacks...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Tim Chapman, Session2, SaleID, Databases, server, ReadCommitted, SalePrice, RepeatableRead, lock, SQL Server Newsletter, Database, Transaction, Data, Record, Table, Session1, SalesHistory, TRANSACTION, Enterprise Software, Storage, Software, Data Management, Hardware
- Technical articles 2007-05-25
- Resolving loose relationships in SQL
- In this SQL Server tip, Arthur Fuller shows how to "equate" charges with payments and provides a model for resolving similar business problems. With a little creative thinking about particular business problems, you can often devise a solution in SQL. For instance, companies can choose between two...
- Tags: SQL, Loose.Charges, Loose.Payments, Arthur Fuller, Operational accounting, Databases, payment, Loose.Charges value, Loose.Payments value, SQL Server Newsletter, Method, Finance
- Technical articles 2007-05-22
- Using NOLOCK and READPAST table hints in SQL Server
- Table locking hints provide developers much tighter control of their transactions. Look at the benefits and disadvantages of using the NOLOCK and READPAST table hints in SQL Server. When data in a database is read or modified, the database engine uses special types of controls, called locks, to...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, NOLOCK, SalesHistory, Databases, Storage, Tim Chapman, server, lock, database, SQL Server Newsletter, Transaction, Data, Statement, Record, Downside, Table, READPAST, UPDATE Statement, Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management, Hardware
- Technical articles 2007-05-21
- Creative uses for COALESCE() in SQL Server
- Arthur Fuller shows you two unusual uses of the COALESCE function in SQL Server. For instance, you can generalize its use, as well optimize its performance and make its results constantly available. COALESCE accepts a series of values and a value to use in the event that all...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Listing B, Databases, Arthur Fuller, server, SELECT dbo.WholeName, SQL Server Newsletter, Problem, Column, COALESCE, Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management
- Technical articles 2007-05-14
- Defining SQL Server constraints with TSQL
- Take your database administration skills to the next level by learning how to define constraints with TSQL. This advanced skill shows that you don't always rely on graphical interfaces when designing database objects. All competent DBAs and developers should possess the ability to logically define constraints in the...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Tim Chapman, Databases, server, SalesHistory, SQL Server Newsletter, Constraint, Column, Table, TSQL, OBJECT_ID, SaleID, SaleDate, SalePrice, Listing D, Storage, Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management, Hardware
- Technical articles 2007-05-07
- Two approaches to recording shift work in SQL Server
- If you want to list employees' time sheet records in SQL Server by the shift, you should assume that an employee could begin work at any time between the start and stop times of the shift. Learn two ways to preserve the correct groupings in your list. Assume that...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Listing B, Databases, Arthur Fuller, server, SQL Server Newsletter, Shift, Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management
- Technical articles 2007-05-07
- Dealing with case and accents in SQL Server
- Collation describes the code page, case sensitivity, accent sensitivity, and language or alphabet in use. This SQL Server tip illustrates how you can force the use of any specific collation. Collation describes the code page, case sensitivity, accent sensitivity, and language or alphabet in use. I often see...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Listing B, Collation, Storage, Databases, Arthur Fuller, server, collation, database, SQL Server Newsletter, Alphabet, Row, Character Set, Hardware, Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management
- Technical articles 2007-04-30
- Put SQL Server's EXISTS construct to good use
- The next time you are writing your own queries, remember SQL Server's EXISTS construct. It is typically fast and easy to use, and it can prove very useful in programming situations. One thing I have noticed over the years is how seldom developers use SQL Server's very useful...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Tim Chapman, SalesHistory, Listing C, SalePrice, Databases, server, SQL Server Newsletter, Construct, Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management
- Technical articles 2007-04-30
- Generate synchronization scripts in SQL Server with TableDiff
- TableDiff is a console executable that allows you to compare data between SQL Server tables. Plus, since it is packaged with SQL Server, you don't need to buy additional tools when you want to examine lookup tables in different database environments. DBAs often have to find the differences...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Tim Chapman, TableDiff, Databases, server, SourceTable, TableDiff utility, database, SQL Server Newsletter, Environment, Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management
- Technical articles 2007-04-23
- Mixing the bill of materials formula with SQL Server
- Question: What do you get when you combine SQL Server, bill of materials, and cooking? Answer: A useful tip for figuring out what recipes you can make based on the ingredients you have on hand. Most DBAs are familiar with the classic bill of materials BOM problem: Given...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Databases, Arthur Fuller, server, recipe, pantry, bill of material, SQL Server Newsletter, Ingredient, Technique, Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management
- Technical articles 2007-04-23
- Audit data using SQL Server 2005's COLUMNS_UPDATED function
- DBA Tim Chapman looks at how the SQL Server 2005 COLUMNS_UPDATED function works and then discusses how to parse out the field names. Auditing data changes in your production environment is very important, especially if you are dealing with confidential information. Besides tracking the data that has...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Tim Chapman, COLUMNS_UPDATED, Databases, Enterprise software, sys.fn_IsBitSetInBitmask, trigger, update statement, audit, SQL Server Newsletter, Function, Auditing, Microsoft SQL Server 2000, Listing B, COLUMNS_UPDATED Function, System Function, Listing C, Software, Data Management
- Technical articles 2007-04-16
- Cut development time with SQL Server 2005's synonyms
- SQL Server 2005's synonyms allow you to give an alias to an already existing object. Realize the benefits of synonyms by using them as a layer of abstraction between the underlying objects and the synonym. A synonym is a new object to SQL Server 2005. It is a way...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft SQL Server 2005, SalesHistory, Databases, Storage, Tim Chapman, synonym, SalesHistory table, database, SQL Server Newsletter, Table, Project Deadline, Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management, Hardware
- Technical articles 2007-04-09
- Scaling out with distributed partitioned views in SQL Server 2005
- A distributed partitioned view joins data from one or more SQL Server databases. You can design these views in such a way that the query optimizer will know which table to pull data from in your query. I have examined the differences between scaling up and scaling out...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Tim Chapman, Servers, Databases, server, database, SQL Server Newsletter, Data, View, Table, SalesHistory, SaleID, Schema Validation, Listing D, Enterprise Software, Hardware, Software, Data Management
- Technical articles 2007-04-02
- Two options for scaling out your SQL Server system
- If you decide to scale out rather than scale up your SQL Server environment, read about two options for scaling out to allow for high levels of scalability: horizontal data partitioning and vertical data partitioning. Last week, I examined the differences between scaling up and scaling out your...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Storage, Databases, Servers, Tim Chapman, database, server, database system, SQL Server Newsletter, Data, Hardware, Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management
- Technical articles 2007-03-26
- Exploring the window functions in SQL Server 2005
- SQL Server 2005's window functions allow you to look at different levels of aggregation all at one time. Here's how to use the OVER(…) clause to gather a collection of statistics. Window functions in SQL Server 2005 have nothing to do with Microsoft Windows; rather, they create data...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Construction, Databases, Arthur Fuller, SQL Server window, window, clause, Window Function, SQL Server Newsletter, TechRepublic Inc., Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management
- Technical articles 2007-03-19
- Scaling your SQL Server system
- When your database servers become busy and performance deteriorates, the fix may be as straightforward as taking another look at your current application and query designs. Here's a comparison of scaling up vs. scaling out your SQL Server systems. What do you do when your database servers become busy...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Tim Chapman, Databases, Storage, Performance management, database, server, performance, database server, hardware, SQL Server Newsletter, Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management
- Technical articles 2007-03-19
- Create custom notifications with SQL Server 2005
- DBA Tim Chapman builds a small custom notification system with SQL Server that allows you to send a message to the correct people when a problem occurs. In my article on sending e-mail with Database Mail in SQL Server 2005, I discussed how crucial it is to be...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Tim Chapman, Databases, Listing C, Database Mail, Service Broker, database, SQL Server Newsletter, Message, Procedure, Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management
- Technical articles 2007-03-13
- Sending E-mail with Database Mail in SQL Server 2005
- In part one of his series, Tim Chapman described how to set up Database Mail in SQL Server 2005. Now he explores some of the more advanced functionality of sending Database Mail e-mails, such as formatting your message body as HTML. As technology continues to advance, the increasing...
- Tags: Tim Chapman, Databases, SQL Server 2005 Database Mail, Database Mail, e-mail, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft SQL Server 2005, database, SQL Server Newsletter, E-mail Message, News, Storage, Enterprise Software, Online Communications, Software, Data Management, Hardware
- Technical articles 2007-03-05
- Resolving SQL Server data in different databases
- One all-too-common problem that data modelers and DBAs face is how to resolve SQL data in different databases. Arthur Fuller walks you through a sound approach for addressing this problem. In the dark ages of software, developers tried to design the entire system down to the smallest detail...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Orders_2, Storage, Databases, Arthur Fuller, database, Orders_1, SQL Server Newsletter, Solution, Row, Server, Table, Hardware, Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management
- Technical articles 2007-03-05
- Finding the highest value in several SQL Server columns
- If your task is to return the maximum value contained on a row from n columns, you may want to program defensively, anticipating that some new columns might be added. See why Arthur Fuller says this approach can leave you with useful functions. You have a SQL Server table...
- Tags: Microsoft SQL Server, Databases, Arthur Fuller, server, supposition, SQL, SELECT dbo.Max2, MinMaxID, SQL Server Newsletter, Column, NULL, dbo.Max2, Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management
- Technical articles 2007-02-26
