2015 T-SQL Tuesdays

  • December – T-SQL Tuesday #73 – Naughty or Nice? – As you work with SQL Server look around you. Is your environment Naughty or Nice?
  • November – T-SQL Tuesday #72 – Data Modeling Gone Wrong (summary)- I would like to invite you to share some data modeling practices that should be avoided, and how to fix them when they do occur.
  • October – T-SQL Tuesday #71 – SQL Server Audit () – For this month, I would like to invite you to write about Auditing. Auditing is certainly a security related topic, and with that fits right in with the August topic (Encryption).
  • September – T-SQL Tuesday #70 – The Enterprise (roundup) – How do you manage an enterprise? What tricks do you use? What are the challenges?
  • August – T-SQL Tuesday #69 – Encryption (roundup) – Write about how you use encryption, why not, what’s blocking you, or what you just learned.
  • July – T-SQL Tuesday #68 – Just Say No to Defaults (roundup) – running with defaults is far from ideal. We all change things after we install an instance, sometimes not until we encounter a problem. Write about something you’ve dealt with as far as defaults go.
  • June – T-SQL Tuesday #67 – Extended Events (Wrap-up) – How have you used extended events? If you haven’t, try to learn something, set up a session, and write about it.
  • May – T-SQL Tuesday #66 – Monitoring (roundup) – you must monitor your systems, your SSIS packages, your reports, something. Talk about monitoring in SQL Server.
  • Apr – T-SQL Tuesday #65 – Teach Something New (roundup) – Completely open ended. Teach yourself something new, anything, about SQL Server and write about it. Bonus for talking about how you learned something new.
  • Mar – T-SQL Tuesday #64 – Calling All Tuners and Gearheads (roundup) – Russ wants posts tackling “focused” performance tuning. By “focused,” he means tackle something head on; the more secret sauce, tricks, code samples, operator costs, or demonstrable metrics against a defined problem the better.
  • Feb -T-SQL Tuesday #63 – How Do You Manage Security? (roundup) – What tips, tricks, techniques, or philosophies do you have around security?
  • Jan – T-SQL Tuesday #62 – HealthySQL (roundup) – How do you ensure your instances are healthy? Monitoring? Maintenance? Something else?

T-SQL Tuesday #073 – Naughty or Nice?

Invitation from Bradley Balls.

Since it is the holiday season, I wanted to keep this holiday themed.  I couldn’t help but think of the approaching Christmas holiday.  Every year I get my children to make a list of presents that they would like to get from Santa Clause.  If we are out and about and they start to misbehave I remind them about their list and that only Nice children get presents.

“So Balls,” you say, “What in the ever loving wide wide world of sports does this have to do with SQL Server?!?”

As you work with SQL Server look around you.  Is your environment Naughty or Nice?  If it is Naughty what’s wrong with it?  What would you do to fix it?  Do you have a scrooge that is giving you the Christmas chills?  Perhaps you have servers of past, present, and future haunting you.  Maybe you are looking at SQL Server 2016 like some bright shining star in the east.

First and foremost the rules.

Rule 1: Don’t get yourself fired.  If your boss is a scrooge don’t name names, don’t hint to hard.  It’s okay to protect yourself.  You want to write about events we can look back on and reflect over, not events HR would *love* to know about.  Perhaps a reminder of SQL Server’s past would be better than that of SQL present.

Rule 2: Some Time next Tuesday using GMT, here’s a link to a GMT time convertor, publish your blog post.  For example in the US that would cover 8 pm Monday to 8 pm Tuesday.

Rule 3: Make sure that you include the Image at the top of the page helping to identify your post as a T-SQL Tuesday blog.  Then come back here and post a link in the comments so I can find them.  Before the end of the week I’ll do a round up of all the blogs.

Extra Credit!

Tweet your blog with the hash tag #tsql2sday, use SQL Server 2016, & go read someone else’s blog on the subject!

T-SQL Tuesday #072 – Data Modeling Gone Wrong

Invitation and roundup from Mickey Stuewe.

The purpose of SQL Server, is to make sure that the databases are kept safe and run as optimally as possible. The problem is, if the data model is flawed, or not maintained, then no matter how optimally the SQL Server is configured, the database won’t be able to function efficiently.

I would like to invite you to share some data modeling practices that should be avoided, and how to fix them when they do occur.

 

T-SQL Tuesday #070 – The Enterprise

Invitation and roundup from Jen McCown.

Here is your invitation for T-SQL Tuesday #70, and the topic is:

Strategies for managing an enterprise

We define “enterprise” in a number of ways, but I tend to default to two definitions: “the things I’m in charge of” and “anything I don’t want to do manually”.  In other words, you don’t need a large shop to have yourself an enterprise. Of course, feel free to modify the definition to what works for you.

So. How do you manage an enterprise? Grand strategies? Tips and tricks? Techno hacks? Do tell.

T-SQL Tuesday #071 – SQL Server Audit

Invitation from Sebastian Meine.

For this month, I would like to invite you to write about Auditing. Auditing is certainly a security related topic, and with that fits right in with the August topic (Encryption).

But don’t write this up as yet another “boring” security topic. There are other use cases for auditing too. The built-in SQL Server Audit feature for example can be used to track down how many different applications are accessing a particular table.

The result of a SQL Server Audit

There are several approaches you can take with this topic. You could tell us a story:

  • Have you encountered a situation where auditing saved the day?
  • Where you able to stop an ongoing attack because auditing alerted you?
  • Have you encountered a situation, in which auditing would have been helpful, but was not set up?
  • Have you worked with the SQL Server Audit feature? What is particularly interesting to you about it?
  • Do you think that everybody should use some form of auditing? Let us know, why.
  • Do you think auditing is a waste of resources? We would like to hear more.
  • Are you forced to be compliant? Under what regulation? HIIPA, PCI, CCC? How did auditing help to get you compliant?

If stories are not your thing, let us know how you use auditing. Or, write about how to use a fascinating piece of SQL Server Audit.

  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of SQL Server Audit over other possible audit implementations, like triggers, traces, Extended Events or external tools like log file readers?
  • How can you use SQL Server Audit to see if a particular table or procedure is still in use?
  • What is the difference between a Server Audit Specification and a Database Audit Specification and when should you use which?
  • SQL Server Audit is based on Extended Events. What does it offer that XEs do not provide?

Finally, you could go totally meta:

  • How do you audit the audit? How do you make sure that the audit does not just get disabled by an adversary?
  • How do you monitor your audit log to make sure you get alerted when something irregular is happening?

I hope I was able to spark your interest. I can’t wait to see you (or at least your post) next week at the party.

 

T-SQL Tuesday #069 – Encryption

Invitation and roundup from Ken Wilson.

This month I am honored to be your host, and the topic is encryption. There are so many options to encrypt data in SQL Server, and yet, it is often a feature that is left unused. If you are struggling for ideas to write about, consider a few questions to get started. How are you encrypting your data? Why did you choose that option over another? What were some of the performance impacts or issues you encountered along the way?

Not using encryption? That’s okay; you can still participate. Write about the obstacles that are preventing you from implementing encryption in your environment, or to steal a quote from Adam’s first T-SQL Tuesday post, “any post that is related to both SQL Server and the theme is fair game. So feel free to post about SSIS, SSRS, Java integration, or whatever other technologies you’re working with in conjunction with SQL Server.”

T-SQL Tuesday #068 – Just Say No to Defaults

Invitation and roundup from Andy Yun.

I am honored to be your host this month. This month, I’d like to ask everyone to blog about SQL Server Defaults. While SQL Server CAN be run with just the default settings, doing so is far from ideal. As we progress through our careers, many of us build lists of things we change. Let’s blog about those! And don’t think this month’s topic is constrained to just the SQL Server engine. SSIS & SSAS are absolutely fair game as well. SQL Server developer tools – sure! Want to take a different spin on “defaults,” go right ahead and be creative!

Need Ideas?

Do you have a checklist of “always change” settings? Blog about that!
Do you have a preferred method for mass-deploying your changes? Blog about that!
Do you have a specific default setting you ALWAYS change? Deep dive & blog about that!

T-SQL Tuesday #067 – Extended Events

Invitation and wrap-up from Jes Borland.

The June 2015 topic is Extended Events. I want to know (and others do, too) how you’ve solved problems with Extended Events. What sessions have you created? What unique way have you used predicates or targets? What challenges have you overcome?

If you’re thinking, “I haven’t used Extended Events!” or “I don’t know enough about Extended Events to write a blog about it!”, perfect! I want you to write a blog that lists the questions you have. That way, other contributors can leave comments with suggestions, or link to their blogs that give you answers. Don’t be shy! We all started out knowing nothing about this new feature.

T-SQL Tuesday #066 – Monitoring

Invitation and roundup from Catherine Wilhelmsen.

 

The topic of the month is monitoring. We all monitor something while working with SQL Server: Maybe you’re a DBA who monitors database performance, an SSIS developer who monitors job and package execution, an application developer who monitors queries or a BI analyst who monitors report usage? Do you use T-SQL or PowerShell scripts? Have you created your own monitoring reports or applications? Have you invested in a complete monitoring solution from a vendor? What is monitored manually and what is automated with alerts? If a brand new SQL Server professional in your role asks you for advice, what do you say is the number one most important thing to monitor? Have you ever stayed awake for a week solving a problem that could have been avoided with proper monitoring? Did you implement a monitoring solution that saved your company?

Be creative! There are so many topics to choose from, and you can of course write about anything you want as long as it is related to SQL Server and monitoring. It doesn’t matter if you’re new to SQL Server or have decades of experience, whether your blog post is short or long, an introduction or a deep dive, if you include scripts or screen shots… Just join the party and have fun while you share your knowledge. (And if you joined the #SQLNewBlogger challenge in April, this is a great way to keep blogging!)

T-SQL Tuesday #065 – Teach Something New

Invitation and roundup from Mike Donnelly.

The topic this month is straight forward, but very open ended. You must learn something new and then write a blog post explaining it. One of the reasons I present and blog is because it forces me to really learn a subject if I am going to explain it to someone else. I am now giving all of you that same opportunity.  You’re welcome.

I considered limiting this to just T-SQL, but that seemed….limiting. It just has to be something SQL related and also small enough that you can explain in a single blog post. Maybe a T-SQL command or DMV you have been meaning to learn more about or an SSIS component or PowerShell commandlet you’ve never used before. Try not to make it too theoretical I want some code snippets or screen shots. OK. We’ll meet back here on the internets in a week and all have some new knowledge.