Marko Radakovic

Using an XML file to configure an SSIS package

March 16, 2014 by
To configure an SSIS package means to choose property/value pairs added to a completed package, and include them in the configuration file for the further modifications. If for any reason some of the values has been changed after the deployment is finished and the package run, they can be added later, opening the package in Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS), and changing the values Read more »
Milica Medic

SQL Database design: Choosing a primary key

March 16, 2014 by
A primary key is a column or a combination of columns that uniquely defines each row in a table. When designing a database choosing a primary key is one of the most important steps. A table can contain one or more columns suitable to be a primary key and that column or columns are called a candidate key. Only one candidate key can be selected as a primary key Read more »
Ivan Stankovic

What is SQL Server log shipping?

March 16, 2014 by

What is SQL Server log shipping?

SQL Server log shipping is a technique which involves two or more SQL Server instances and copying of a transaction log file from one SQL Server instance to another. The process of transferring the transaction log files and restoring is automated across the SQL Servers. As the process result there are two copies of the data on two separate locations Read more »
Ivan Stankovic

SQL Server security and Policy Based Management – In practice

March 16, 2014 by
In the previous introduction article we have described concepts, terms, and common Policy Based Management tasks. The SQL Server Policy Based Management feature can be used in various scenarios and for different purposes. Using once declared policies and the Export/Import feature, maintaining SQL Server security in large enterprises with a number of SQL Server instances can be an automated process Read more »
Milena Petrovic

SQL Server query execution plans – Basics

March 15, 2014 by

Why is query execution important for SQL Server performance?

SQL Server performance monitoring depends on the performance goals. The first step in monitoring is to determine optimal performance for your server and create performance trends based on the captured metric information. If performance is not satisfactory, it’s necessary to diagnose performance problems and find their origin. This involves testing how different queries and applications affect performance Read more »
Ivan Stankovic

What is SQL Server database mirroring?

March 15, 2014 by
SQL Server database mirroring is a disaster recovery and high availability technique that involves two SQL Server instances on the same or different machines. One SQL Server instance acts as a primary instance called the principal, while the other is a mirrored instance called the mirror. In special cases, there can be a third SQL Server instance that acts as a witness Read more »
Milena Petrovic

SQL Server alerts in troubleshooting performance issues: SQL Server alerting basics

March 14, 2014 by

Why is SQL Server alerting important?

To be aware of what’s going on with your system and how SQL Server performs, monitoring is necessary. However, just monitoring might not be enough. Being notified about a performance issue whenever a specific SQL Server counter meets a threshold value, or a specific event occurs, boosts monitoring usability. These notifications enable DBAs to be aware of every important system performance change as soon as it happens, and therefore they can act immediately to fix the issue and prevent further problems Read more »
Ivan Stankovic

What is a SQL Server disaster recovery?

March 14, 2014 by
A SQL Server disaster is an event that causes data loss or any serious SQL Server disruption. Causes of a disaster can be numerous: power failure, hardware failure, virus attack, natural disaster, human error, etc. Some SQL Server disasters cannot be prevented. That’s why a good disaster recovery plan is important Read more »
Milena Petrovic

Troubleshooting SQL Server issues with sys.dm_os_performance_counters

March 13, 2014 by

sys.dm_os_performance_counters

sys.dm_os_performance_counters is a system Dynamic Management View (DMV) that returns one row for each SQL Server performance counter. It’s useful for obtaining information about current performance counter values. These counter values are also shown in Windows Performance Monitor, besides other operating system counters Read more »
Marko Radakovic

Ways to use and execute SQL Server Integration Services packages

March 13, 2014 by
SSIS packages (SQL Server Integration Services) are a part of the Microsoft SQL Server database platform and a tool for building high performance data integration and workflow applications. It is also a tool for data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL), and can be used to automate maintenance of the SQL Server databases and updates. Basically, they can be used for moving data, with no transformations, from a variety of source types to a variety of destination types, including text files and other SQL Server instances Read more »
Milena Petrovic

A DBA guide to SQL Server performance troubleshooting – Part 1 – Problems and performance metrics

March 13, 2014 by
Monitoring SQL Server performance is a complex task, as performance depends on many parameters, both hardware and software. It’s recommended to monitor these parameters proactively in order to prevent any potential performance degradation. However, this is not always the case. If the performance degradation happens, the first step towards the resolution is to determine the problem, find out the cause, and resolve the issue. Severe performance issues require quick actions and resolutions. Less severe problems can have a delayed fix. In either case, DBAs should take actions to prevent these situations in future Read more »
Milena Petrovic

Windows Performance Monitor basics

March 12, 2014 by
Windows Performance Monitor is a tool shipped with Windows that can be used to monitor and examine how applications affect computer performance. It can measure real-time server performance and save the measured values into a log file that can be analyzed later. It enables real time system and SQL Server performance monitoring, tracking the performance impact of applications and services, setting threshold for each monitored metric, and generating an alert or performing a specific action when the defined threshold is exceeded
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