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Archive for the ‘SQLAuthority News’ Category

SQLAuthority News – 2500 Blog Posts, 2 Million Views per month, 62 Million Total Views

Posted in About Me, PostADay, SQL, SQL Authority, SQL Query, SQL Server, SQL Tips and Tricks, SQLAuthority News, T SQL, tagged on May 16, 2013 | 99 Comments »

Today, I am very happy as the journey I started almost 6.5 years ago has very important milestone. I have stopped blogging about my milestone for a long time as I believe that was just taking up the space in my blog and was not providing any useful information. However, today is a special day. This is my 2500th blog post and now the next 2500th blog post will come after many years.

When I started this blog I had no idea that I will be blogging after more than 6 years and I will ever reach to 2500th blog post. It was all just started as my personal bookmark. I was expecting that I will be a single reader of this blog and had no idea for a long time that even other people can read my blog as well. Once the very first comment appeared everything was just new world for me.

I never thought I would be able to engage with so many people from all over the world. I initially thought my blog will be majorly read by Indians as India has largest population but I am delighted to see that there is a balance among continents. As of today, this blog is the most read in USA and second place is India. Thank you readers from all over the world to support me  in spreading the knowledge.

Click to Enlarge

Another interesting and important detail is that I have been receiving over 2,000,000 views per month consistently every month. I never thought so many IT Professional would be reading this blog. When I see this 2 million number, I wonder often about readers.

If you are my blog reader, I would like to know you, would you please tell me who you are and why do you visit this blog? I encourage all you to leave a comment in the comments section. On this 2500th blog post, I will select random 10 readers and will send them surprise educational gift.

Online Course on how to Build a Successful Blog

I am often asked what are the best practices to build a successful blog. I have built a video course on the topic of How to build a successful blog. 

Watch the teaser of this course.

Here are few of the topics which I am covering in the course:

  • Blogging – Concepts, Ideas And Motives
  • Getting Started With Blogging
  • Writing An Interesting Blog
  • Blogging Rules, Ethics And Etiquette
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Checklist For Building Successful Blog

Reference:  Pinal Dave (http://blog.SQLAuthority.com)

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SQL SERVER – SQL Puzzle of SET ANSI_NULL – Win USD 50 worth Amazon Gift Cards and Bubble Copter R/C

Posted in PostADay, SQL, SQL Authority, SQL Puzzle, SQL Query, SQL Server, SQL Tips and Tricks, SQLAuthority News, T SQL, Technology, tagged on May 15, 2013 | 6 Comments »

We all love puzzles and here is interesting puzzle which you can play with me and win Amazon Gift Cards and Bubble Copter R/C. The contest for Amazon Gift Card is open worldwide, however, Bubble Copter winner will be chosen from USA only.

First run following script:

SET ANSI_NULLS ON;
-- Query1
SELECT 'SQLAuthority' AS Statement11
WHERE 'Authority' IN ('S','Q', 'L', 'Authority', NULL);
-- Query 2
SELECT 'SQLAuthority' AS Statement12
WHERE 'Authority' NOT IN ('S','Q', 'L', NULL);

You will get following result:

You can clearly see that in the first case we are getting different results. Here are the questions you need to answer to win the Amazon Gift Cards and Bubble Copter R/C.

There are two steps to take participate in the contest:

Step 1: Answer the Question

Question: Why do Query 1 return results but Query 2 does not return any result?

Answer this question in comments area along with the question in Step2.

Step 2: Identify File Size

Question: What is the size of the DevArt Schema Compare installation file in KB? Please leave a note in the comment area.

Please note the size of the file should be KB and not in MB. You can download the file from here.

Giveaway:

  • 2 lucky winners will get USD 25 worth Amazon Gift Card (Open worldwide, Total giveaway value USD 250)
  • One lucky winner from USA will get  Bubble Copter R/C (Shipping from USA to other countries is not possible)

Rules and Conditions:

  • Contest open till May 25 12:00 GMT. 
  • Please leave your answer in the comment area in following format:
    • Answer to Q1:
    • Answer to Q2:
  • Please note that winner will be selected after May 25th by random selection and will be posted as a comment to this blog.
  • The answers will be kept hidden till the winner will be announced to have fair competition.

Reference: Pinal Dave (http://blog.sqlauthority.com)

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SQLAuthority News – Presenting 3 Technical Sessions at Great Indian Developer Summit – May 7, 2013 – Bangalore

Posted in About Me, PostADay, SQL, SQL Authority, SQL Query, SQL Server, SQL Tips and Tricks, SQLAuthority Author Visit, SQLAuthority News, T SQL, Technology on May 2, 2013 | 5 Comments »

I will be presenting once again 3 Technical Sessions on SQL Server and Performance Tuning at Great Indian Developer Summit on May 7, 2013. If you are going to attend the event, you do not want to miss the technical sessions at any cost. Here is the generic theme for every session I will be presenting at Great Indian Developer Summit.

  • Each session will have 30% theory and 70% demonstrations
  • Attendees will have access to scripts presented in the session
  • Location to review the videos and free learning material associated with the session
  • Practical Performance Tuning Tips to tune your server

Attendees will be able to learn the knowledge which they will be able to apply as soon as they walk out of the session. Here is the details about the session:

Tips and Tricks for Blazing Fast SQL Server Performance

12:00 PM | May 7, 2013 | Main Hall
60 mins | GIDS.NET | Session

Slow Running Queries are the most common problem that developers face while working with SQL Server. While it is easy to blame the SQL Server for unsatisfactory performance, however the issue often persists with the way queries have been written, and how SQL Server has been set up. The session will focus on the ways of identifying problems that slow down SQL Servers, and tricks to fix them. In this session we will cover the common issues related to the Indexes, Statistics, Joins, Conditions as well cover a few of the mistakes developers do when they are rushing to meet deadlines. We will quickly cover SQL Server Worst Practices as well have a quiz during the session to keep the conversation alive. Developers will walk out with scripts and knowledge that can be applied to their servers, immediately post the session. Additionally all attendees of the session will have access to learning material presented in the session.

Performance in 60 Seconds – Database Tricks Every SharePoint Developer MUST Know

14:00 PM| May 7, 2013 | SD Hall
60 mins | GIDS.NET | Session

Data and Database is a very important aspect of SharePoint implementations. SharePoint Developers often come across situations where they face a slow server response, even though their hardware specifications are above par. This session is for all the SharePoint Developers who want their server to perform at blazing fast speed but want to invest very little time to make it happen. We will go over various database tricks which require absolutely no time to master and require practically no SQL coding at all. After attending this session, Developers will only need 60 seconds to improve performance of their database server in their SharePoint implementation. We will have a quiz during the session to keep the conversation alive. Developers will walk out with scripts and knowledge that can be applied to their servers, immediately post the session. Additionally all attendees of the session will have access to learning material presented in the session.

Secrets of SQL Server: Database Worst Practices

15:10 PM| May 7, 2013 | SD Hall
60 mins | GIDS.NET | Session

“Oh my God! What did I do?” Chances are you have heard, or even uttered, this expression. This demo-oriented session will show many examples where database professionals were dumbfounded by their own mistakes, and could even bring back memories of your own early DBA days. The goal of this session is to expose the small details that can be dangerous to the production environment and SQL Server as a whole, as well as talk about worst practices and how to avoid them. Shedding light on some of these perils and the tricks to avoid them may even save your current job. After attending this session, Developers will only need 60 seconds to improve performance of their database server in their SharePoint implementation. We will have a quiz during the session to keep the conversation alive. Developers will walk out with scripts and knowledge that can be applied to their servers, immediately post the session. Additionally all attendees of the session will have access to learning material presented in the session.

If you are going to be at the event, do not hesitate to stop by Pluralsight booth. I will have something unique for you – do not forget to ask for it.

Reference: Pinal Dave (http://blog.sqlauthority.com)

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SQLAuthority News – Learn Fundamentals of MySQL Online – Pluralsight Course

Posted in Technology, SQL Server, SQL, SQL Query, SQL Tips and Tricks, SQL Authority, SQLAuthority News, T SQL, PostADay, Video, tagged on May 1, 2013 | 3 Comments »

Here are few of the question I often receive -

  • Do you know anything besides SQL Server?
  • So how does it feel when the only thing which you know is SQL Server?
  • Have you worked in the past with any other programming language?

Actually, I find these questions very interesting as I do work with other technologies and I still do work with many other technologies besides SQL Server. Recently I got the opportunity to work with MySQL and have also built quite a lot of knowledge about the application as well. I found MySQL very interesting and easy to learn. It is the most popular database technology since the year 2008 and used by most numbers of database professionals in the world (including me). The latest version of MySQL is very popular and it is very easy to install on Windows Platform. One just has to download MySQL Installer and execute it. Just click next, next and you are done!

Though, MySQL is very easy I have noticed that not everyone knows it well. The pace of the software industry has changed and people change their expertise quite frequently based on the project they are assigned. There are two kinds of beginners in the industry 1) Those who have very little experience in the software industry and just beginning their career in this field. 2) Those who have plenty of the years of the experience but beginning their career in the particular technology. When you look at both the kinds of the people they both need training but they have different level of understanding of the subject matter.

Looking at this, I decided to build a beginners course on MySQL which addresses both the kinds of the people 1) Beginners with IT field and 2) Beginners with MySQL technology. I have build following beginners course on MySQL Technology. This is part 1 of the course and for anyone who wants to learn MySQL at express speed. The length of the course is 2 hours and 37 minutes, this means anyone can learn the fundaments of the MySQL in a very short period of the time.

You can watch this entire course of Fundamental of MySQL at Pluralsight. To watch the course, you will have to subscribe to Pluralsight library. If you do not have a subscription you can opt for a FREE Trial. If you go to the page and do not see any link enable, please login to Pluralsight and you should be able to watch this course.

Here is the video teaser which I have build for this course. Let me know what you think about it. Here is the content of the course.

  • Introduction to MySQL
  • Getting Started with MySQL and GUI Tool
  • Fundamentals of RDBMS and Database Designs
  • Introduction to MySQL Workbench
  • Data Retrieval Techniques
  • Data Modification Techniques
  • Summary and Resources

Reference: Pinal Dave (http://blog.sqlauthority.com)

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SQLAuthority News – Download PowerPivot or PowerView enabled Workbook Optimizer – Download SQL Server Connector for Apache Hadoop

Posted in Technology, SQL Server, SQL, SQL Query, SQL Tips and Tricks, SQL Download, SQL Authority, SQLAuthority News, T SQL, PostADay, tagged , on April 28, 2013 | 1 Comment »

Earlier this week Microsoft have released two very interesting downloads which got my attention. Haddop, PowerPivot and PowerView all three are not directly related to traditional RDBMS but their important is growing in the industry as big data is taking over market.

The Microsoft SQL Server SQOOP Connector for Hadoop is now part of Apache SQOOP 1.4 and we are not providing a separate download anymore. Please note that Microsoft’s HDInsight service includes the connector as well. Linux (for Hadoop setup) and Windows (with SQL Server 2008 R2 installed). Both are required to use the SQL Server-Hadoop Connector.

With SQL Server-Hadoop Connector, you import data from:

  • tables in SQL Server to delimited text files on HDFS
  • tables in SQL Server to SequenceFiles files on HDFS
  • tables in SQL Server to tables in Hive
  • result of queries executed on SQL Server to delimited text files on HDFS
  • result of queries executed on SQL Server to SequenceFiles files on HDFS
  • result of queries executed on SQL Server to tables in Hive

With SQL Server-Hadoop Connector, you can export data from:

  • delimited text files on HDFS to SQL Server
  • sequenceFiles on HDFS to SQL Server
  • hive Tables

Download instruction for SQL Server Connector for Apache Hadoop

The Workbook Size optimizer for Excel can better compress data inside workbooks that use PowerPivot or PowerView if this data comes from external data sources. The best size compression can be achieved for workbooks based on SQL Server databases and there are a few tricks we can do for other SQL datasources as well. The optimizer will install as an add in to excel and will provide you with a nice wizard to better compress the size of your workbook. Using the optimizer you can often get more than 1,000,000 rows datasets in a workbook under 10 MB, share it in SharePointOnline and interact with it using the Excel Web App in any browser.

Download PowerPivot or PowerView enabled Workbook Optimizer

(Courtesy Microsoft Downloads)

Reference: Pinal Dave (http://blog.sqlauthority.com)

 

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