Greg Larsen, a SQL Server DBA, and the owner of the website SQLServerExamples.com, has released a free plug-in for SSMS called the SQL Server DBA Dashboard. The useful tool produces a multitude of reports to help both DBAs and Developers in their quest to see inside of SQL Server, and how it is performing.
Author Archives: Brad
Free eBook: “Protecting SQL Server Data”
SQL Server security expert, John Magnabosco, has just authored the new book, Protecting SQL Server Data, the first book of its kind to be devoted to the protection of SQL Server data using encryption.
Covering both SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008, the book handholds the reader, step-by-step, throughout this entire topic, from beginning topics, all the way to the most advanced.
Below is a list of the chapters from the book:
Chapter 1: Understanding Sensitive Data
Chapter 2: Data Classification and Roles
Chapter 3: Schema Architecture Strategies
Chapter 4: Encryption Basics for SQL Server
Chapter 5: Cell-level Encryption
Chapter 6: Transparent Data Encryption
Chapter 7: One-way Encryption
Chapter 8: Obfuscation
Chapter 9: Honeycombing a Database
Chapter 10: Layering Solutions
If you have been shying away from learning about SQL Server encryption because of a lack of any good sources to learn about it, now you don’t have any excuse, especially since the book is available as a free eBook from Simple Talk Publishing and Red Gate Software.
30 Days of Adventure in Australia and New Zealand
Starting Saturday, September 26, 2009, I will begin a 30 day, 9 city, and 11 session speaking tour of Australia and New Zealand. While I have been on several 2 and 3 week speaking tours, this will be my longest and most complex.
I have spent nearly a year making the arrangements, coordinating the tour with various user groups so I could make as many presentations as I could in the shortest time possible. This past two months have really been intensive, as I have had to book flights, train rides, and hotels for all these locations. The entire journey will include nearly 20,000 miles of traveling.
PASS Community Summit to be Held in Seattle
Organized by SQL Server users for SQL Server users, PASS Summit Unite 2009 is the largest and most intensive Microsoft SQL Server and BI conference in the world. In its 10th year, PASS Summit returns to the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle Nov. 2-5, 2009.
Guided by the results of a recent Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS) membership survey, PASS Summit Unite 2009 will focus on helping SQL Server professionals cut IT costs in a difficult economy, stretch their technology investments, and squeeze the most value from their educational opportunities. Continue reading
SQL Bits Conference to Run Three Days
The next SQL Bits conference, the largest SQL Server conference in Europe, will be held at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport South Wales, England. For the first time, this event will be held for three days, from November 19-21, 2009.
The first day (Thursday, November 19, 2009), will include five different full day, deep dive sessions. The second day (Friday, November 20, 2009) will focus on sessions on SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2. The third day (Saturday, November 21) will offer three different simultaneous tracks (DBA, DEV, BI).
While the conference sessions on Saturday are free (as they have been in the past), there will be a charge for those who want to attend the Thursday and Friday events. Check out their website for more information.
Help Design a New SQL Server Monitoring Tool
In an experiment in SQL Server community involvement, the members of Red Gate Software’s software development usability team have created a new website called www.thefutureofmonitoring.com. This team, among other teams at Red Gate Software, are working Version 2 of its popular SQL Response software.
The goal of the new website is to get your input on what you would like to see in a SQL Server monitoring tool. For example, what do you dislike about software installers, or what memory counters do you think are the most important? In fact, you can even help the usability team design a new dashboard.
Whatever you think about SQL Server monitoring tools, feel free to share those thoughts with the usability team at their new website. In fact, I have already given the team my input on the next version of SQL Response, and they would really like to hear from you too.
Brad M McGehee 