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Daily Coping Tip

Immerse yourself in a new book, TV show, or podcast

I also have a thread at SQLServerCentral dealing with coping mechanisms and resources. Feel free to participate.

For many of you out there working in a new way, I'm including a thought of the day on how to cope in this challenging time from The Action for Happiness Coping Calendar. My items will be on my blog, feel free to share yours.

Have You Deployed an Availability Group?

The last few weeks have been interesting, to put it mildly, with both more and less engagement online. I see more people holding video calls, both inside and outside of work, but I also see less engagement at SQLServerCentral, blogs, Slack, and some of the more common community tools we've had. I suspect this new way of working is strange, and it's upset many of the rhythms that people have built over the years.

In any case, one very important and common technology in the SQL Server platform is an Availability Group. This technology has been in the product since 2012, and unlike clustering, it's relatively easy to set up. Not to say it's easy, and you do need to develop some skills outside of T-SQL to understand how this works. This week I'm wondering how many of you might never have done this?

Or maybe you've done it once or twice and forgotten about it.

While we're dealing with the various challenges of a pandemic, this is also a time where you might brush up on a few skills or learn new ones. Deploying, configuring, and testing an AG is something that is valuable to both DBAs and developers, and it's a good skill to bring to your next interview. Every employer wants to know you understand HA/DR.

We have a Stairway Series that can help you along with quite a few articles and blogs that people have written. There are various lab posts as well, including a good one from Ryan Adams, that can help you get started. If you don't have equipment handy, you can build one in Azure for cheap, and even turn off the VMs when you're not using them and spend just a few dollars a month on storage. That's not much cost to build a valuable skill in your career.

If you've built a lab, maybe you want to tackle something complex, like the scenarios that Allan Hirt writes about on his blog. If you've never done one, maybe try to build one, take notes and capture screenshots, and blog about it. In Word if you want to start a portfolio to send out with your resume, or on your live blog. It might be a good time to start a new blog.

Focusing on a project like this can help shut out some of the noise in the world and engage you in a new way with your career. Hopefully you are doing well, and life is proceeding for you. If not, maybe tackle a project to take your mind away from things, and check out our daily coping tips in the newsletter.

Steve Jones - SSC Editor

Join the debate, and respond to today's editorial on the forums

Redgate SQL Provision
 
  Featured Contents

Aggregate Data for the Last Day of the Month

Adam Aspin from SQLServerCentral.com

On some occasions you will need to aggregate Data for the Last Day of the Month. This article explains how.

SQL Server and Undocumented Extended Procedures

Additional Articles from SQLServerCentral

Smart DBAs automate tasks whenever possible. In this article, Greg Moore shows the need to use caution when using undocumented procedures for automating tasks, and that PowerShell may have what you need instead.

From the SQL Server Central Blogs - Living with Bipolar During a Pandemic

taboggiano@gmail.com from Database Superhero’s Blog

Introduction Today is World Bipolar Day.  I wanted to write a blog about my experience with bipolar to help others that have mental health challenges know that aren’t alone...

From the SQL Server Central Blogs - Time To Learn Git

Grant Fritchey from The Scary DBA

I love this quote from Kevin Hill (and not because he mentions me): 3 things I can no longer justify ignoring: #dbatools Git and #Docker for my dev SQL work@cl@sqldbawithbeard@Kendra_Little and @unclebiguns@GFritchey, I blame you...

 

  Question of the Day

Today's question (by Steve Jones - SSC Editor):

 

RANKX Parameters

The RANKX DAX function takes a number of parameters. Among them are:
  • Table
  • Expression
  • Value
  • Order
  • Ties
Which of these are required?

Think you know the answer? Click here, and find out if you are right.

 

 

  Yesterday's Question of the Day (by Steve Jones - SSC Editor)

Even More Memory Optimized Table Limitations

In SQL Server 2017, can I truncate a MOT table?

Answer: No

Explanation: You cannot run TRUNCATE TABLE on an MOT table. Ref:

Discuss this question and answer on the forums

 

 

 

Database Pros Who Need Your Help

Here's a few of the new posts today on the forums. To see more, visit the forums.


SQL Server 2017 - Development
convert dynamic rows to columns in sql server - Hi i have one doubt in sql server how to convert rows to columns dynamically in sql server CREATE TABLE [dbo].[product]( [productid] [varchar](20) NULL, [productEventID] [varchar](50) NULL, [productTransID] [varchar](50) NULL, [productEffectiveDate] [datetime] NULL, [productInvestmentID] [varchar](20) NULL, [productBuySellCode] [varchar](10) NULL, [productClosingValue] [decimal](13, 2) NULL, [productClosingUnits] [int] NULL, [productChangeInUnit] [varchar](20) NULL, [productChangeinvalue] [varchar](20) NULL, [productNAVPriceDate] [datetime] NULL, […]
SQL Server 2016 - Administration
Loading & downloading files to/from a Full-Text-Search database - Hello everybody, I come across full-text search (FTS) everytime I study for an MCP. It has some very specific uses which seem very useful. I have been asked as to whether making the user-created files on a particular server searchable is possible by means of FTS. In theory, yes, it is, from what I read […]
SQL Server 2016 - Development and T-SQL
output with no headers csv - I have a sql script which runs fine, but I need the output to show  headers in comma delimited trying to avoid sql cmd if possible would rather use tsql
SQL 2012 - General
Newbie. Up date Table - Hi. New to SQL. There is a field I want to change within our database. currently its set as 1 I want to change it to 0. The issue I have I want to change 200 unique vehicle registration numbers to Zero  
Questions of SQL server distirbuted system - 1.How to setup distributed database server using SQL Server 2012 or SQL Server 2014 ? is there any good post about it ? 2.for example, if I set up a distributed system with  several SQL servers, and I'd like to know if there is a middleware  to help me to fulfill the function as MySQL […]
How to make join to teams display without join all teams ? - problem How to make left join to only teams displayed  dynamically depend on fields exist on @selectedcolumncomma ? i work on SQL server 2012 my problem how to generate join dynamically based on teams displayed without writing all relations to all teams and my be result two teams only on my situation below i make […]
SQL Server 2019 - Administration
sql server memory buffer cache building up question - question for DB Gurus when sql server is restarted, it will be slow at first building exec plans , caching plans  and increasing buffer. Any way to do it faster than just waiting for sql server to do it automatically  
How to deal with SqlServer PS module - I understand that SqlServer has replaced SQLPS.  I experienced this with SQL 2017.  I'm now putting together a SQL 2019 with server 2019 and I see that SQLPS is still part of an install. PS C:\Windows\system32> get-module sqlps -ListAvailable Directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\150\Tools\PowerShell\Modules ModuleType Version Name ExportedCommands ---------- ------- ---- ---------------- Manifest 15.0 […]
SQL Server Newbies
Get the difference from one record to the one previous - In it's simplest form I want a table that I can use to store my Household energy readings, Gas and Electricity. I've designed a Table with 3 fields, Date of entry, Electricity meter reading and Gas meter reading. What I would like to have is a further 2 fields that are computed by the database […]
Reporting Services 2008/R2 Administration
Why can't I Manage Reports on SSRS site? - Hello, I'm an admin on this SSRS site and I can browse and upload reports with no issue, however, when I click on the report drop down option and select Manage, in order to assign the data source and properties, etc. I keep getting the HTTP 404 error Webpage cannot be found. This site was […]
SSRS 2014
Parameter has any limit or size? - Hi I have created report with Cascading parameter (Multivalued), Is there any limit or size for Parameter? I am able to run my report report manager. Same report is not working in report framework. If I am limiting my selection to top 119 then its working fine. Parameter has text values. Let me know any […]
General
Regarding for Microsoft Azure Certification - Hello Everyone, I am new here and I am preparing for microsoft azure certification but I am confused about which one best for me. I have 1 year experience in PHP and I have checked on google to find best azure certification and I have confused between 3 certifications which I mentioned below 1. Microsoft […]
Powershell
powershell with sql server help - Hi All, I wanted to load windows application log into sql server table. I am using below command but it was throwing error. Can anyone help me on how to fix this problem. Followed below article to load the windows event log to a table. I created below table and ran below powershell command Storing […]
Strategies and Ideas
Design ideas for historic data & trending - Hi everyone, I have a use case (below) for which I am considering multiple options. I am hoping to get some ideas, from the experts here that can help me get a better design. I am coming back to data warehousing after almost a decade, and I am more than rusty, so please excuse me […]
Anything that is NOT about SQL!
The Coping Thread - I've started a series on my blog about coping strategies during the pandemic: https://voiceofthedba.com/tag/life/ If anyone is struggling or having a tough time, I'd encourage you to reach out to others, here or elsewhere. This is a community and we need to be here to support each other. A few other resources that are available […]
 

 

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