This article provides guidelines to make developers’ and DBAs’ working days a little bit easier with using free SQL tools.
September 3, 2019Boost your productivity using free SQL tools
How to generate customized test data with IronPython
With the help of the IronPython generator in ApexSQL Generate, we can overcome pretty
complicated SQL data generation works.
Generate realistic test data with a predefined data generator
ApexSQL Generate is a very effective data generator tool that helps developers to populate SQL databases through the predefined generator with hundreds of meaningful data types.
August 26, 2019SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) – how to save results with headers
Many people want to find out how to use ‘SSMS save results with headers’ functions to save the results of a query to an Excel file.
August 13, 2019How to measure SQL Server code coverage
In this article, we will explore what is code coverage and then we will learn, how we can measure SQL Server code coverage.
July 31, 2019Recommended methods for SQL database scripting
There are numerous reasons why exists the need for SQL database scripting, i.e. transform objects to their T-SQL form. One can say that it comes natural from a need to recreate some objects on another database, some objects are needed to be sent to developers for editing, or at least to keep the scripts as one form of database backup.
July 4, 2019How to set email notifications for SQL Server Index defragmentation jobs
SQL Server index is used mainly to retrieve data from the database tables quickly, by seeking the requested records in the table index directly, rather than scanning the overall table records. The database transactional tables are changing very frequently, and these changes will be reflected in the related table indexes. Due to these changes, the index becomes fragmented over time, with its pages stored in an unordered manner.
June 13, 2019Online vs offline SQL Server index rebuild in SQL Server
SQL Server Index is the key solution for most of the performance issues that the T-SQL queries suffer from. It can be used to speed up the data retrieval process from your database tables, by seeking for the requested data in the index itself, rather than scanning the overall table rows.
In this article, we will discuss the difference between rebuilding the index using Online and Offline modes.
June 10, 2019How to configure fill factor for SQL Server indexes
SQL Server index can be considered as a double-edged sword. When the index is designed and maintained well, it can be used to speed up the data retrieval operations from the database tables, by providing swift access to the table rows, with no need to perform a full scan on the table’s data. On the other hand, the index may cause performance degradation on your system and slow down the data insertion and modification operations, when this index is badly designed.
May 29, 2019SQL index fragmentation reports
The purpose behind creating SQL indexes on database tables is to enhance the performance of the queries that read data from the base table by speeding up the data retrieval processes. But these transactional tables are not static and changing very frequently over time. These changes that are performed on the database table include adding new records, modifying or deleting the existing records. As these changes should be replicated to the related table indexes, the table index will become fragmented over time.
May 20, 2019Using a SQL log analyzer to audit, replicate and recover data
ApexSQL Log is a SQL log analyzer tool which can be used to read different transaction log files in order to perform SQL Server database auditing, transactional replication and data/schema recovery tasks.
May 7, 2019How to Manage SQL Agent Job Schedules
The SQL Server Database Administrator job is not a boring or relaxing job, as you will face new challenges every day. Although you may be required to drink multiple cups of coffee during your working hours, you still have the chance to sleep your nights without nightmares and enjoy your holidays without carrying your laptop everywhere as your baby … but only if you can master your tasks and responsibilities to be able to perform them efficiently.
April 25, 2019How to automatically pull data from a shared script folder to a SQL Server database
Challenge
In previous article, it was explained how to automatically compare and synchronize a shared SQL script folder with SQL Server database data, while in this article the solution for the reverse process will be explained, in case when data changes needs to be pulled from a shared SQL script folder to SQL Server database. Since a “poor man’s source control repository” is already set up and a SQL script folder already contains data changes commits from other developers, it’s time to set the reverse process in order to pull data changes from SQL script folder to a developer’s local database.
April 4, 2019How to get SQL Server Agent job history
SQL Server Agent is a Windows service that is widely used by database administrators and developers to automate the different types of critical and complex business and administrative tasks, to be executed based on a regular predefined schedule. It provides us with the ability to schedule an operating system CMD command, PowerShell script, SQL Server Analysis Services command or query, SQL Server Integration Services package or simply a T-SQL script.
March 22, 2019SQL blocking chains in SQL Server
SQL blocking means that one or multiple SQL queries are waiting for resources that are locked by another SQL Query. SQL blocking can affect data throughput and SQL Server responsiveness significantly. SQL Server response time is a measure that shows how long the end user that has executed a query must wait until he gets a response. So, in case that a query is doing nothing while waiting on another query to release the lock on the target resource, the response time increases thus making the SQL Server less responsive.
March 4, 2019Remote database synchronization using a database installer package
This article will cover remote database synchronization using a database comparison and synchronization tool that will create a standalone database installer to execute a script, to complete the a synchronization and update between two remote database
March 4, 2019SQL auditing tools overview
Many SQL auditing tools and solutions are available to help DBAs achieve change-auditing and compliance goals. To achieve high performance auditing fit for a specific environment, it is important to consider all of these different SQL auditing tools which use different approaches, techniques and mechanisms to audit various SQL Server operations and events in order to choose and implement a most suitable one. In this article, we are going to look and compare 5 different SQL auditing tools which leverage different SQL Server mechanisms for auditing, including embedded auditing, transaction logs, database triggers, SQL traces and more. These are:
March 1, 2019SQL Server Agent job alert configuration
As a proactive database administrator, one of your main tasks is monitoring different activities happening in your SQL Server instances continuously.
February 28, 2019How to get a backup SQL database history
This article will review how to get information on your backup SQL database history, including the metadata in MSDB that can be queries, as well as value added tools and features to group, sort, report and export this critical information
February 26, 2019How to automatically compare and synchronize a shared SQL script folder with SQL Server database data
This article will provide an overview of automating the comparison and synchronization the data between a SQL script folder and a live SQL Server database
Challenge
In the article on how to automatically compare and synchronize SQL Server database objects with a shared script folder, a “poor man’s source control repository” was explained. It was shown how to set up a SQL script folder on a shared network location, in order to “mimic” the work on a SQL source control repository, where all developers will commit their changes, without any cost concerns.
February 7, 2019
