Category SQL

So, you’re planning to take the beta exams, but you want to have a LITTLE more hands-on to prepare yourself!

Well, look no further! (Well, do look further, but check this out as well)

Books! Read Read Read away!

SQL Server 2008 Books Online Release Candidate (RC0)

Virtual Labs – These are a wealth of information, labs and “live” systems to play with!
TechNet Virtual Labs: SQL Server 2008
TechNet Virtual Labs: Business Intelligence

Hopefully this gives you that headstart you’re looking for, outside of what you already know!

Fairly straight to the point – SQL 2008 Beta exams until July 31st!
These beta exams are for 71-432 (70-432) and 71-448 (70-448)

TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Implementation and Maintenance
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-432.mspx

TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-448.mspx

71-432 – Promotion code: 943F6
71-448 – Promotion Code: B6543

Beta available until July 31st

Thanks GerryO!

So, as seen here NetApp Expands Storage and Data Management Solutions Supporting Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Physical and Virtual Environments this can mean a lot for environments which want high resiliency, modern systems (Server 2008, Hyper-V) and helping to further consolidate Server sprawl as well as Storage sprawl.

But what does this mean for you or I?

Oh, this is where the fun gets started!

It’s one thing to have supported SnapManager products on the latest Apps:

• Windows Server 2008
• SQL Server 2008
• Exchange Server 2007

But to also be able to support them instanced within Hyper-V, I have to add ‘coolerific’ to the equation.    What this means is that even I in my lab/sandbox/testbed/Laptop ;) will be able to actually simulate any of these environments as well!

My testbed happens to be a Lenovo T61P, 4gb of ram, running Server 2008 (Enterprise), Hyper-V enabled, Also running the NetApp Data ONTAP Simulator for local-side simulated (yet real) storage!

I’ll be able to run rig with all scenarios of apps, dependencies and then replicated it back to my actual real filers, along with the older apps (while not mentioned, but not less important) such as MOSS, Exchange 2003, SQL 2005, and beyond!

Yea, I think it’s pretty damn cool that the support is there, and gives me something even *I* can take advantage of, let alone large scale enterprises!

That’s right! New Mastery in the form of a “Master” Cert.
It is rumoured to be above the current MCITP, and equally above the old-school MCSE, yet below (and a pre-requisite) of the MCA (Architect).

It will be offered in 3 varieties.

It is covered at an EXTREMELY high-level here at Microsoft Certified Master Program
And also is briefly mentioned here on Trika’s Blog

There is a little bit of depth to be found here:
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/master/products/default.mspx

However, outside of these high-level ideas of it, and its very narrow focus on a set of core technologies (Hey, where is my MOSS Mastery?!)

It appears to be just another Certification to join the pile – definitely a precursor to the MCA with these requirements:

To achieve Master certification, candidates must fulfill the following training requirements:

And if history has shown us anything, when you have ‘class attendance requirements’ that usually translates into “This is going to cost you some serious $$$” Not only from ‘attendance’ but also from your inability to be producing revenue or working as you’re going to classes.

Perhaps this is trying to go the way of the “Masters” programs available within the ‘Educational’ community, but today you can phone that in, and the technology and extreme depth this is looking to promote is not something earned in the classroom – It’s earned in the trenches.

Who knows how this will be implemented, we’ll certainly find out as time moves on – Adoption is key though – Look at the CCIE Program for Cisco…

This is mainly for my reference, but if anyone else needs it, it is here as well.

If you do not know, by default MSDE 2000 (which is installed with a lot of applications) will by default eat up all of your available memory (up to 2gb). This is a very serious problem if you install an application with MSDE on an Exchange server, or other similarly shared servers. You’re best off limiting the memory. Some perfect examples are, on-box Anti-Spam Software, McAfee EPO, Blackberry BES Server, etc. So be aware.

DBCC SHRINKFILE(pubs_log, 2)

BACKUP LOG pubs WITH TRUNCATE_ONLY

BACKUP LOG pubs TO pubslogbackup

DBCC SHRINKFILE(pubs_log,2)

And if/when that does not work, you can also use…

DBCC OPENTRAN (database_name) – to check for open transactions.

DBCC SHRINKFILE (file_name, target_size)
DBCC SHRINKDATABASE (database_name, target_percent) – This works when shrinkfile hasn’t been working.

And to limit MSDE

Save as a .SQL File

USE master
EXEC sp_configure ‘show advanced options’, 1
RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE USE master
EXEC sp_configure ‘max server memory (MB)’, MaxServerMemory
RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE

USE master
EXEC sp_configure ‘show advanced options’, 0
RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE

osql -E -S ServerComputerName\msfw -i Path\setchecksqlmemory.sql

*Update*

In the event that you need to do it all by hand using OSQL as a trusted connection, perform the following – Set to change it to 64mb of memory

————————————-

OSQL -E

USE master
EXEC sp_configure ‘show advanced options’, 1
RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE

GO

USE master
EXEC sp_configure ‘max server memory’, 64
RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE

GO

USE master
EXEC sp_configure ‘show advanced options’, 0
RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE

GO

————————————-

That will drop the memory usage from 2gb down to 64MB almost immediately.
Disclaimer: the ‘max server memory’ keeps replacing the first single quote incorrectly, so it may need to be typed manually. Working on correcting.
INF: How to Shrink the SQL Server 7.0 Transaction Log

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256650/

INF: Shrinking the Transaction Log in SQL Server 2000 with DBCC SHRINKFILE

http://www.support.microsoft.com/?id=272318

You may experience high memory usage on an ISA Server 2004-based computer that logs messages to an MSDE database

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=909636

OSQL Syntax

http://www.di-mgt.com.au/osqlUtility.htm

Christopher Kusek

*Updated this post to appear in 2007 as it’s been used more often than I did in September when I first posted this*