Thank you #sqlsatbostonbi 2015

October 18, 2015 Andy 1

Yesterday was SQL Saturday #437 or as we call it, SQL Saturday Boston BI Edition. It was my first time helping to organize a SQL Saturday (or any event like this). It was an honor to be asked to join the organizing team, knowing that … [Read More]

Dumplings, Databases and Corporate Espionage

October 8, 2015 Andy 0

This blog post takes a tangent from my usual technology-specific ramblings, but I’ll make the connection eventually. Just bear with me. Dumplings Today, I was craving some mapo tofu, so I went to one of my favorite lunch joints, Dumpling Daughter (website|twitter). As I walked in, … [Read More]

Planning for an outage: Phone numbers

September 15, 2015 Andy 0

Who ya gonna call? If there’s somethin’ strange in your neighborhood Who ya gonna call? If it’s something weird and it won’t look good Who ya gonna call?   This summer, they’ve been taping the new Ghostbusters movie in Boston. It’s pretty cool to see the Ghostbusters … [Read More]

Embedded video demos in PowerPoint

September 11, 2015 Andy 0

This series of short posts will demonstrate some lesser-known features, keyboard shortcuts, and other tips that make my day as a DBA more productive. None of these are groundbreaking super-secret features–they are the little things that I do as part of my daily work that … [Read More]

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Thanks for being awesome NE SQL!

September 10, 2015 Andy 2

This evening, I did my first presentation at a user group at my local user group. Sure, it was just a lightning talk, but the New England SQL Server user group is a tough crowd. People ask tough questions. Nobody is timid about interrupting you … [Read More]

Tip: Master Control Panel

August 18, 2015 Andy 0

Shortcuts & tips from an Impatient DBA #9 This series of short posts will demonstrate some lesser-known features, keyboard shortcuts, and other tips that make my day as a DBA more productive. None of these are groundbreaking super-secret features–they are the little things that I … [Read More]

Watch your step! Don’t become a DBA-hole

July 14, 2015 Andy 2

No, I’m not discouraging anyone from being a DBA. I’m just discouraging DBAs from being A-holes. DBAs (and IT folk in general) have a terrible reputation for being curmudgeons, jerks, and a-holes. These guys exist, and working with them is a miserable experience–but they’re a … [Read More]

Using SQL Agent MSX for Availability Groups

July 7, 2015 Andy 0

Availability Groups (AGs) are all the rage these days. Every SQL Saturday, every local Users Group, bloggers and DBAs everywhere are all talking about how cool they are. There’s a lot of talk about how AGs provide a compelling alternative to Failover Cluster Instances (FCIs). … [Read More]

How to find the SQL Server Service Account

June 18, 2015 Andy 2

What is the service account running your instance of SQL Server? A lot of DBAs probably know right off the top of their head–maybe because they’re using the same account for every instance. Have you ever had to audit every service account on every instance? … [Read More]