09Aug 2017 by Grant Fritchey No Comments

IT/Dev Connections 2017

Database Lifecycle Management, DevOps, SQL Server 2016
I'm very honored to be able to announce that I am going to be speaking at IT/Dev Connections in San Francisco. I'm not just speaking there, I'm presenting an all day seminar on the tools needed for query tuning. The title does say SQL Server 2016, but most of the tools I'll cover can be used be used from SQL Server 2012 to SQL Server 2017. I'll also throw in a few SQL Server 2017 tools just to spice things up. If you're looking for a lot of information about how to get your query tuning done, I'm here to help. I'm also going to be talking about two other favorite topics of mine, DevOps and Monitoring. Please check it out and join me at this event.
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07Aug 2017 by Grant Fritchey 2 Comments

Database Fundamentals #7: Create a Table Using T-SQL

Database Fundamentals, T-SQL
The syntax for creating a table logically follows many of the same steps that you did when using the GUI, but it will all be done with the statements. This script will exactly replicate everything that you did with the GUI: CREATE TABLE dbo.Person ( PersonID int IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL, FirstName varchar(50) NOT NULL, LastName varchar(50) NOT NULL, DateOfBirth date NULL ) ON [PRIMARY]; Breaking the script into separate lines, it’s easy to see how the TSQL commands perform the actions defined in the GUI (it also makes it easier to read). The CREATE TABLE statement in this context is self-explanatory.  After that you’re defining the schema and the table name. Within the parenthesis you define each of the columns. First is the name of the column followed by the…
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01Aug 2017 by Grant Fritchey 16 Comments

There Is a Magic Button, a Rant

SQL Server, SQL Server 2016, T-SQL
OK guys. I think it's way past time. A bunch of us have been keeping a secret from the rest of you. We know something that you don't. I don't think we should hide this secret from the world any more. Illuminati? Incompetents. Free Masons? I am one, so I already know all those secrets. Bilderbergers, Cthulhu Cultists, MKUltra, New World Order, Rotarians? All of these are nothing compared to the vast conspiracy that I'm about to reveal. We need to just unveil the magic "Run Really Fast" button. We've been keeping that sucker a secret forever. It's been tough. Every so often some unauthorized person almost finds it or a "query tuning expert" (as if that was a real thing) tries to reveal it. But we've kept it secret…
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31Jul 2017 by Grant Fritchey 2 Comments

Being a Positive Influencer

Professional Development
I read a lot of self-help and improvement information. I'm always trying to hack my brain or my attitude to arrive at a better, more productive, more useful individual. I suck at it. Positive If you read a lot of these books and articles about how to go about getting better, positivity is one of the most important aspects. That's not to say you should be a Pollyanna. In fact, it's extremely important to be honest with yourself and others. It's more about how you're critical or how you deliver bad news, not whether or not you should deliver bad news. Quick story that happened to me recently. My family and I went to Fort Sumter during our vacation (that's "on holiday" for my friends across the pond). Follow the…
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24Jul 2017 by Grant Fritchey 1 Comment

Database Fundamentals #6: Create a Table with the SSMS GUI

Database Fundamentals
The whole idea behind databases is to store information, data, in order to look at it later. The place where that data is going to be kept is referred to as a table. A table consists of columns and each column can be defined to store a variety of specific kinds of data. You can make small tables or large ones. The columns on the tables can be made so that they have to have data in them or they can be empty. The choices are yours to make, but you need to know how to set tables up appropriately . In addition to tables, we're going to start learning about columns. Columns can be very generic in nature, supporting all sorts of different kinds of data, or they can be…
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19Jul 2017 by Grant Fritchey 4 Comments

SQL Cruise: Alaska 2017

Professional Development
We're weeks away from another SQL Cruise. If you've never heard of this before, follow the link to read more. There you'll also find testimonials and suggestions on how to sell SQL Cruise to your boss. I'm going to leave selling it to your boss to you. I want you to consider this. Class Time I'm extremely honored to once more act as one of the Technical Leads. When you look at the people I'm working with, Argenis Fernandez, Andrew Kelly, Allen White and Bob Ward (SQUEEE!), you can understand why I feel this way. I'm as grateful as I can be to Tim Ford for putting faith in me to let me stand next to these wonderful people. I'll do everything I can to prove myself worthy. That means…
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17Jul 2017 by Grant Fritchey 1 Comment

Database Fundamentals #5: Database Properties

Database Fundamentals
Don’t let the ease of creating databases lull you into a false sense of security. They actually can be very complicated. You can modify and individualize their behavior within your server so that different databases behave in radically different ways. The best way to see all the different manipulations you can make, open the New Database window by right clicking on the Databases folder within the Object Explorer window, assuming you’re already connected to the server. Don’t bother typing anything into the first page. Click on the Options tab on the left side of the window. You’ll see a screen that should look very similar to this: Don’t worry. We won’t be talking about all the possible settings on this page. Instead we’ll focus on a few that are extremely…
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10Jul 2017 by Grant Fritchey 4 Comments

The Choices We Make

DevOps, Professional Development
If you keep your head up and look around you'll see the choices people make all the time. I saw a recent example online in this story about two experiences, shopping at Home Depot vs. Lowes (very minor NSFW warning due to language). I don't want to get into a debate about the two stores. That's not the point. The point is, we all have two sets of priorities that we have to serve. The first set of priorities are the ones immediate to us, the rules and regulations we create and enforce around our jobs. The second set of priorities are the ones that are at least a step removed from us, the service and services we supply to our "customers". Make no mistake, we're all serving customers to…
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06Jul 2017 by Grant Fritchey No Comments

Gratitude

PASS
I want to take a moment to thank a few people for being amazing. First up, Thomas LaRock is wrapping up his tenure on the PASS Board this year. He has one more in-person meeting at Summit 2017 and then he's basically done. I followed Tom to karaoke during my 2nd PASS Summit and have been following him around ever since. I'm honored to count him as a friend. Tom, you set an impossibly high bar. Thank you for everything you've done for me and for this community. Second, Denise McInerney is also completing her time on the PASS Board this year. Denise has been a fixture in the leadership of PASS ever since I first volunteered. I had no idea just how much guidance and advice and flat out…
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