CSS SQL Server Engineers
This is the official team Web Log for Microsoft Customer Service and Support (CSS) SQL Support. Posts are provided by the CSS SQL Escalation Services team.
Hot It Works: SQL Server SuperLatch'ing / Sub-latches
SQL Server Books Online uses the terms super latches and sub-latch to describe them. For...
Author: psssql Date: 01/28/2009
INF: Multi-Machine Replay Using ORCA and OSTRESS
You can place ORCA on a central computer and allow it to control the sequencing from multiple client...
Author: psssql Date: 01/23/2009
How It Works: Statistics Sampling for BLOB data
I worked on an interesting issue today and the outcome deserves a post. The issue was that when auto...
Author: psssql Date: 01/22/2009
PRB: RML Utilities - ReadTrace and how to workaround MARS
SummaryWe've lately gotten several questions from users regarding ReadTrace and how to workaround...
Author: psssql Date: 01/21/2009
WMI Provider Error Access is denied - while changing SQL Server account password
Recently one of our blog readers reported that when they tried to change the SQL Server account...
Author: psssql Date: 01/21/2009
How It Works: sys.dm_os_buffer_descriptors
Here is a question I was recently asked: "I am counting pages in the buffer pool using 'Select...
Author: psssql Date: 01/21/2009
How It Works: SQL Server Sparse Files (DBCC and Snapshot Databases) Revisited
Sarah and I have been approached by several customers wanting to know more about sparse file...
Author: psssql Date: 01/20/2009
"Error: SharePoint is installed but not configured" when installing the RS Add-in on Windows 2008
I ran across an interesting issue when trying to install the Reporting Services Add-in for...
Author: psssql Date: 01/13/2009
ReadTrace Generates Unexpected Connect Node - Not Really
At first glance it appears that ReadTrace has generated an unexpected connect node. Upon closer...
Author: psssql Date: 01/12/2009
Filtering Trace Data Without Loading In Profiler or Database Table
We are often asked how to extend the filtering of RML (ReadTrace/OStress) or Profiler. Filtering...
Author: psssql Date: 01/08/2009
Installing SQL Server 2005 SP3 or SQL Server 2008 on builds prior to XP SP3 Can lead to Bug Check (0xF4, Blue screen, Critical Process Termination)
Due to a bug in Windows XP builds prior to the XP SP2 hot fix or XP SP3 release you may encounter...
Author: psssql Date: 01/07/2009
WMI Provider Error: Access is denied. [0x80070005] from SQL Server Computer Manager
When you attempt to change the Login Account for the SQL services [SQL Server, SQL Agent, Full Text,...
Author: psssql Date: 01/04/2009
SQL 2005 JDBC Driver and Database Mirroring
We ran into some interesting situations with the SQL 2005 JDBC Driver (v1.2) and it's use with...
Author: psssql Date: 12/31/2008
Failure to load Report Manager due to truncated UserAgent string
We came across an issue when trying to load Report Manager. We would get the following...
Author: psssql Date: 12/29/2008
Using SQLIOSim to Diagnose SQL Server Reported Checksum (Error 824/823) Failures
This is an extension to by previous post about SQLIOSim data integrity testing....
Author: psssql Date: 12/19/2008
SQL Server (2005 and 2008) Trace Flag 1118 (-T1118) Usage
Trace flag 1118 forces uniform extent allocations instead of mixed page allocations. The trace flag...
Author: psssql Date: 12/17/2008
How It Works: SQL Server No Longer Uses RDTSC For Timings in SQL 2008 and SQL 2005 Service Pack 3 (SP3)
Many of you have encountered the RDTSC timing variances that I outlined in an earlier blog post:...
Author: psssql Date: 12/16/2008
How It Works: SQL Trace and MARS Connections
MSDN, TechNet, Books Online and other sources outline what Multiple Active Result Sets (MARS) is,...
Author: psssql Date: 12/12/2008
INF: RML Utilities: Turning on Trace Flags
SummaryWhen using the RML utilities the logged message or documentation can indicate that use of a...
Author: psssql Date: 12/12/2008
How It Works: What is behind the SQLCLR wait category in SQL Server 2008 Activity Monitor
I was asked a question as the CSS First Aid Station at SQL PASS 2008 where the Activity Monitor kept...
Author: psssql Date: 12/02/2008
Should I run SQLIOSim? - An e-mail follow-up from SQL PASS 2008
From: Robert Dorr [mailto:rdorr@microsoft.com] Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 11:29 AM To: A SQL...
Author: psssql Date: 11/24/2008
RSWindowsNegotiate and 401.1 Error when using RS 2008
While I was setting up one of my demos for SQL PASS, I starting hitting 401.1 errors. I was...
Author: psssql Date: 11/18/2008
PRB: RML Utilities - ReadTrace -M or -MF parameters cause processing to fail with SQL 2008 trace files
SummaryReadTrace processing may unexpectedly stop with an assertion if you use the -M or -MF...
Author: psssql Date: 11/14/2008
INF: RML Utilities - You cannot use 9.01 Reporter against performance analysis database loaded by down-level ReadTrace
SummaryIf you use the latest 9.01 release of Reporter and point to a performance analysis database...
Author: psssql Date: 11/14/2008
Microsoft CSS at the PASS Summit 2008
Once again I'm proud to be part of a team of CSS engineers from Microsoft that will be speaking and...
Author: psssql Date: 11/13/2008
PRB: RML Utilities - Setup may Always Prompt for Report Viewer 2008 Redistributable
Summary In rare circumstances on systems with UAC enabled, setup of Cumulative Update 1 of the RML...
Author: psssql Date: 11/12/2008
How It Works: SQLIOSim - Running Average, Target Duration, Discarded Buffers ...
The following is from a lengthy conversation I had with Kevin Kline. I believe he will be...
Author: psssql Date: 11/12/2008
Cumulative Update 1 to the RML Utilities for Microsoft SQL Server Released
Version 9.01 of the RML Utilities for Microsoft SQL Server has been...
Author: psssql Date: 11/12/2008
RML Utilities: ReadTrace may encounter assertion building the partial aggregates
SummaryIn rare circumstances ReadTrace may encounter the following SQL Server 2008 assertion error...
Author: psssql Date: 11/03/2008
SQL Server Support in a Hardware Virtualization Environment
There is no doubt that virtualization is a hot and popular topic (the number of questions over email...
Author: psssql Date: 10/07/2008
RML Utilities: ReportViewer Bug Affects SQL Server Management Studio and Reporter Utility
Summary An index out of bounds error can occur while rendering a report in Local Report Viewer Mode...
Author: psssql Date: 10/07/2008
TCP Chimney Offload – Possible Performance and Concurrency Impacts to SQL Server Workloads
TCP Chimney is enabled by default if you apply Windows Server 2003 Sp2. This is an operating...
Author: psssql Date: 10/01/2008
How to fix your SQL Server 2008 Setup before you run setup...
Huh? This is not meant to be a brain teaser. The purpose of this post is to help you avoid problems...
Author: psssql Date: 09/30/2008
Welcome to SQL Server 2008 Patching
We have posted the first cumulative update for SQL Server 2008 aptly named Cumulative Update 1...
Author: psssql Date: 09/26/2008
Reporting Services Windows Service will not start after applying MS08-052
We have been seeing a few cases where the Windows Service for Reporting Services will not start...
Author: psssql Date: 09/23/2008
How it Works: SQL Command Mode Parsing
I ran across a teaser this week that makes for a interesting blog post. SQL Server uses a common...
Author: psssql Date: 09/18/2008
SQL Server (2000, 2005, 2008): Recovery/Rollback Taking Longer Than Expected
I have blogged on the various ways to determine the state of recovery but this week I was involved...
Author: psssql Date: 09/12/2008
Upgrade for SQL Server 2008 can fail if you have renamed the 'sa' account
UPDATE TO THIS POST: We now have a fix for this problem as documented at 968829 FIX: Error message...
Author: psssql Date: 09/09/2008
SQL Server 2005 Setup Fails in WOW (x86) On Computer With More Than 32 CPUs
SCENARIO SQL Server fails to install a WOW64 instance (x86) an on a computer with more than...
Author: psssql Date: 09/05/2008
How It Works: 17888 - All Schedulers on Node Appear Deadlocked
Error 17888: All schedulers on Node ## appear deadlocked due to a large number of worker threads...
Author: psssql Date: 09/03/2008
SQL Server 2008 Management Tools Basic vs Complete Explained....
A few questions have come up about the differences between the features you can install on SQL...
Author: psssql Date: 09/02/2008
How to Rebuild System Databases in SQL Server 2008
In SQL Server 2005, we introduced a different method than in previous versions to rebuild system...
Author: psssql Date: 08/29/2008
How It Works: Creating An EndPoint Adds An Entry To SysLogins
My SQL Server does not have individual windows users established as separate logins. Instead it has...
Author: psssql Date: 08/29/2008
SQL Server 2008 Express, .Net Framework 2.0 SP2, and 3.5 SP1 explained...
Many of you may have read my post about dependencies with Visual Studio 2008 SP1 and the .Net...
Author: psssql Date: 08/28/2008
Using Locking Like Synchronization Object
This post is more of a T-SQL trick and NOT a recommendation practice, but since I addressed this in...
Author: psssql Date: 08/27/2008
Why you should read the Release Notes for SQL Server 2008
Do the release notes really ever contain anything that can help you with your deployment of a...
Author: psssql Date: 08/26/2008
IsNumeric Returns (1/TRUE) and I Expected (0/FALSE)
The string '100,200,300' has fooled many a customer and support engineer alike. select...
Author: psssql Date: 08/25/2008
How It Works: SQLIOSim [Audit Users] and .INI Control File Sections with User Count Options
The Page Audit User is one of the main execution paths for data integrity checking. ...
Author: psssql Date: 08/19/2008
Timeouts when connecting to Named Instances
When connecting to a SQL Named Instance, you may encounter a Timeout error when trying to connect to...
Author: psssql Date: 08/19/2008
Is it really the released version of SQL Server 2008?
The following is a question we have received from a few folks who were concerned after installing...
Author: psssql Date: 08/18/2008