November 2006 - Technical Rollup Mail - SQL
News
SQL Server Hosting Toolkit Launched
The SQL Server group at Microsoft has just launched the SQL Server Hosting Toolkit with the release of the Database Publishing Wizard Community Technology Preview 1. The objective of the SQL Server Hosting Toolkit is to enable a great experience around hosted SQL Server. The Database Publishing Wizard works toward this mission by making it easy to upload a database from a development box up to a shared hoster. In its first incarnation, the Database Publishing Wizard is a command line tool that generates a T-SQL script designed to be executed in the script execution windows provided by most hosters in their database management consoles. In the coming months we'll be adding a GUI and building seamless integration between the tool and an upload service we'll provide to hosters for deployment. Details on the Database Publishing Wizard as well as the download can be found at:
https://www.codeplex.com/Wiki/View.aspx?ProjectName=sqlhost&title=Database%20Publishing%20Wizard.
Tips Tricks and Advice from the SQL Server Query Processing Team
The query processing team - query optimization & execution - providing tips, tricks, advice and answers to freqeuently-asked questions in a continued effort to make your queries run faster and smoother in SQL Server.
https://blogs.msdn.com/sqlqueryprocessing/default.aspx
Running SQL Server On “Microsoft Windows Server Longhorn” or Microsoft Windows Vista
In an effort to provide customers with more secure products, Microsoft Windows Server "Longhorn" and Microsoft Windows Vista will only support SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 (SP2) or later when it becomes available. Earlier versions of SQL Server, including SQL Server 2000 (all editions including Desktop Engine edition, a.k.a MSDE), SQL Server 7.0, and SQL Server 6.5, will not be supported on Windows Server "Longhorn" or Windows Vista. Customers running applications with these earlier versions of SQL Server should consider evaluating and upgrading to SQL Server 2005, which was designed to take advantage of the upcoming security and performance enhancements in the operating environment.
https://www.microsoft.com/sql/howtobuy/sqlonvista.mspx
Customer Case Study: London Stock Exchange
As part of its strategy to win more trading business and new customers, the London Stock Exchange needed a scalable, reliable, high-performance stock exchange ticker plant to replace its earlier system. Roughly 40 per cent of the Exchange’s revenues are generated by the sale of real-time information about stock prices. Using the Microsoft® .NET Framework in Windows Server® 2003 and the Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000 database, the new Infolect® system has been built to achieve unprecedented levels of performance, availability, and business agility.
https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver/facts/casestudies/lse.mspx
Documents
Troubleshooting Performance Problems in SQL Server 2005
It is not uncommon to experience the occasional slow down of a SQL Server database. A poorly designed database or a system that is improperly configured for the workload are but several of many possible causes of this type of performance problem. Administrators need to proactively prevent or minimize problems and, when they occur, diagnose the cause and take corrective actions to fix the problem. This paper provides step-by-step guidelines for diagnosing and troubleshooting common performance problems by using publicly available tools such as SQL Server Profiler, System Monitor, and the new Dynamic Management Views in SQL Server 2005.
https://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/2005/tsprfprb.mspx
TechNet Magazine: SQL Server Questions and Answers
Read about running two versions of SQL Server on the same server, get information on restarting SQL Server, executing stored procedures, and more in latest edition of TechNet Magazine online.
https://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/issues/2006/09/SQLQA/default.aspx
Upgrading MSDE 2000 to SQL Server 2005 Express
This white paper discusses the new SQL Server 2005 Express Edition features that are important to MSDE users. It covers how to upgrade your existing MSDE installation to SQL Server 2005 Express and presents criteria to help you decide when to upgrade your MSDE installation to other editions of SQL Server 2005.
https://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/2005/msde2sqlexpress.mspx
Monthly Theme: SQL Server 2005 Mission Critical High Availability
This month's theme highlights the new database engine technologies in SQL Server 2005 designed to reduce both planned and unplanned downtime, provide solutions for disaster recovery, and provide greater system availability to database users. Join us for a webcast, e-learning course or take an interactive look in the Virtual Lab at how SQL Server 2005 can help you improve the availability and reliability of your database solutions.
https://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/themes/default.mspx
Downloads
Cumulative hotfix package (build 2153) for SQL Server 2005 is available
Contains SQL Server 2005 hotfixes that were not included in SQL Server 2005 SP1.
https://www.support.microsoft.com/kb/918222
SQL Server Health and History Tool
The Microsoft SQL Server Health and History Tool (SQLH2) allows you to collect information from instances of SQL Server, store this information, and run reports against the data in order to determine how SQL Server is being used.
SQL Server Health and History Tool (SQLH2)
Download Sample Scripts and Stored Procedures for SQL Server 2005
Sample scripts and stored procedures for managing, maintaining and troubleshooting SQL Server 2005
https://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/scripts/sql/sql2005/default.mspx?mfr=true
Events/WebCasts
SQL 2005 Webcasts and Virtual Labs
SQL Server 2005 is data management and analysis software that delivers enhanced security, availability, and scalability to mission-critical data applications—while making them easier to develop, deploy, and manage. Choose from a wide range of live and on-demand webcasts. Or take part in a virtual lab, which allows you to cut your teeth on the new platform by experimenting with its different capabilities.
https://www.microsoft.com/sql/eval/webcast.mspx?wt.mc_id=sql.ad.01037
Free SQL Server 2005 Training
Whether you are interested in database administration, database development, or business intelligence, you can access the E-Learning topic you want, when you want it, and learn at your own pace. Each lesson includes hands-on virtual labs and offline functionality. In addition, you may consider taking a free Microsoft Skills Assessment to help you meet your Microsoft SQL Server 2005 training goals. You'll receive a learning roadmap with additional skills resources including instructor-led classroom training and books.
https://www.microsoftelearning.com/sqlserver2005/default.aspx
TechNet Webcast: Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services (Level 200)
In this webcast, we introduce Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services. We discuss its place in the Microsoft business intelligence solutions strategy, and explore the components and features that comprise the Reporting Services platform. Find out about the many new and exciting features that have been added to Reporting Services since Microsoft SQL Server 2000. Gain an understanding of the report life cycle, and see how to create, publish, manage, and deliver reports using the new tools and features in SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services. At the end of the session, you should be ready to create and publish reports that can enhance your organization's business knowledge.
TechNet Webcast: Introduction to SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services (Level 200)
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services includes new capabilities that enable you to deliver rich and powerful analytics to your organization. In this session, we demonstrate how you can use SQL Server Analysis Services to build a highly scalable, business intelligence (BI) infrastructure that supports the analytics your business needs to improve overall performance. During the discussion, we cover the Unified Dimensional Model (UDM), proactive caching, multidimensional expressions (MDX), and new manageability enhancements.
TechNet Webcast: Real-Time Business Intelligence with SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services (Level 300)
There is an increasing demand to create real-time business intelligence (BI) systems, but this can be a complex task. In this session, we discuss the challenges of delivering real-time BI and show how some of these hurdles can be overcome using new features in Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services along with components of Microsoft SQL Server 2005. Although barriers preventing absolute real-time BI still exist, SQL Server 2005 makes your information available quickly enough to support better and faster business decisions.
TechNet Webcast: Best Practices for Deploying SQL Server 2005 on Storage Area Networks (Level 300)
Learn how to simplify common administrative tasks, and understand the factors necessary for effective sizing and layout of storage for future growth when deploying Microsoft SQL Server 2005. This webcast looks at how SQL Server 2005 takes advantage of a storage area network. Join us and learn how to recognize the pitfalls to avoid when planning your deployment.
TechNet Webcast: Best Practices for Deploying SQL Server 2005 on Storage Area Networks (Level 300)
MSDN Webcast: Preparing for Exam 70-431 SQL Server 2005 Implementation and Maintenance (Level 200)
In this presentation, we help prepare you for the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist Exam 70-431 Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Implementation and Maintenance. We direct you to freely available information about what Exam 70-431 covers and point to material that might help you pass the test. In addition, we drill down on three selected topics that are relevant to the exam: how to perform log backups and restorations for a database, an overview of using SQL Server Profiler, and working with the Database Engine Tuning Advisor.
In-Person Event (Edinburgh) - Enhance your business’s reporting capability: An introduction to SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
This session introduces SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services. We will review its place in what is known as SQL Server 2005 Business Intelligence, and the various components and features that comprise the Reporting Services platform. We will then cover the many new and exciting features that have been added since SQL Server 2000. Finally, we will gain an understanding of the report lifecycle. We will see how to create, publish, manage and deliver reports using the new tools and features of SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services. At the end of the session, you should be ready to create and publish reports to enhance your organisations business knowledge.
Enhance your business’s reporting capability: An introduction to SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
In-Person Event (Reading) - Advanced SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
This TechNet Event will take you to the next level of SQL reporting. See advanced techniques for building reports with Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services and the Microsoft Visual Studio-based Report Designer.
Topics in these sessions include:
• how to use the built-in expression language,
• report parameterization (data driven, multi-valued, and hierarchical),
• supporting multiple data sources (including relational, multi-dimensional, and XML),
• making reports interactive.
Learn about the new features in Microsoft SQL Server 2005 for report designers, receive a walk-through of sample reports and discover tips and tricks for using the Report Definition Language (RDL).
Advanced SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
In-Person Event (London) - Enhance your business’s reporting capability: An introduction to SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
This session introduces SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services. We will review its place in what is known as SQL Server 2005 Business Intelligence, and the various components and features that comprise the Reporting Services platform. We will then cover the many new and exciting features that have been added since SQL Server 2000. Finally, we will gain an understanding of the report lifecycle. We will see how to create, publish, manage and deliver reports using the new tools and features of SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services. At the end of the session, you should be ready to create and publish reports to enhance your organisations business knowledge.
Enhance your business’s reporting capability: An introduction to SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
In-Person Event (Reading) - Advanced SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
See advanced techniques for building reports with Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services and the Microsoft Visual Studio-based Report Designer. Topics in this sessions include: how to use the built-in expression language, report parameterization (data driven, multi-valued, and hierarchical), supporting multiple data sources (including relational, multi-dimensional, and XML), and making reports interactive. Learn about the new features in Microsoft SQL Server 2005 for report designers, receive a walk-through of sample reports and discover tips and tricks for using the Report Definition Language (RDL).
Advanced SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
Further on-demand webcasts are available here: https://www.microsoft.com/events/series/technetsqlserver2005.mspx
New KB’s
SQL Server 7 Enterprise Edition
FIX: Error message when you try to open a file attachment in a message that is generated by the sp_send_dbmail procedure in SQL Server 2005: "This file is not in a recognizable format"
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=924345
SQL Server 2000 Standard Edition
FIX: The query performance may be slow when you query data from a view in SQL Server 2000
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=924662
FIX: A profiler trace in SQL Server 2000 may stop logging events unexpectedly, and you may receive the following error message: "Failed to read trace data"
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=919399
SQL Server 2000 WinCE Edition
FIX: The IIS process that runs the SQL Server 2000 Windows CE Edition 2.0 Server Agent may stop unexpectedly
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=921518
SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services
FIX: Error message when you export a matrix report or you use the Render method to render a matrix report to a PDF file or a TIFF file in SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services SP2: "Object reference not set to an instance of an object"
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=921198
SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition
BUG: You may receive an error message when you try to use SQL Server Management Studio to update a row of a table in SQL Server 2005
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=925719
FIX: After you detach a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 database that resides on network-attached storage, you cannot reattach the SQL Server database
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=922804
FIX: Error message when you run an application against SQL Server 2005 that uses many unique user logins or performs many user login impersonations: "insufficient system memory to run this query"
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=923624
FIX: Error message when you call the SQLTables function against an instance of SQL Server 2005: "Invalid cursor state (0)"
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=925227
FIX: The result set is returned very slowly when you use the ResultSet object that is included in the SQL Server 2005 JDBC Driver 1.1
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=925050
FIX: Error message when you use a label after a Transact-SQL query in SQL Server 2005: "Incorrect syntax near 'X'"
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=925335
FIX: Error message when you schedule some SQL Server 2005 Integration Services packages to run as jobs: "Package <PackageName> has been cancelled"
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=922527
SQL Server significantly increases the unused space for some tables
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=924947
FIX: An EXCEPTION_STACK_OVERFLOW exception may occur when you try to run a Transact-SQL query in SQL Server 2005
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=922638
Subscription distribution may fail after you synchronize a subscription in SQL Server 2005
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=922767
Error messages may be logged in the SQL Server error log after you run a DBCC command in SQL Server 2005
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=926070
FIX: The Distribution Agent may not apply transactions when you use transactional replication with a published Oracle table and the table contains a column that uses the number data type in SQL Server 2005
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=919839
FIX: Error message when you run queries between two SQL Server 2005 linked servers: "Login failed for user 'NT AUTHORITY\ANONYMOUS LOGON'"
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=925001
FIX: Error message when you try to use a SQL Server authenticated login to log on to an instance of SQL Server 2005: "Logon error: 18456"
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=925744
The installation stops unexpectedly when you try to install SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=926625
Error message when you try to install a SQL Server 2005 service pack or a SQL Server 2005 hotfix package: "Error 29528. The setup has encountered an unexpected error while Setting Internal Properties"
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=925976
FIX: You cannot use SQL Server Management Studio to view job steps that have the SSIS data type on an installation of SQL Server 2005 that uses Turkish collation, and you may receive an "Index was outside the bounds of the array" error message
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=916497
FIX: Error message when the Replication Merge Agent runs in SQL Server 2005: "Source: MSSQL_REPL, Error number: MSSQL_REPL-2147199402"
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=919929
Error message when you try to install SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2: "Unable to start service"
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=926624
SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1 installation stops unexpectedly, and the following error message is logged in the setup log file: "Unable to install Windows Installer MSP file"
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=926622
FIX: Error message when you try to query data from a column of the XML data type or from a variable of the XML data type in SQL Server 2005: "An error occurred while executing batch"
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=926425
FIX: You receive error messages when you use SQL Server Management Studio or SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio after you install Microsoft Office Excel 2007 on a computer that has SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services installed
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=926421
FIX: You receive error messages when you use SQL Server Management Studio or SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio after you install Microsoft Office Excel 2007 on a computer that has SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services installed
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=926422
SQL Server 2005 Mobile Edition
FIX: An empty string is replicated as a NULL value when you synchronize a table to a SQL Mobile subscriber
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=925135
FIX: You cannot use SQL Server 2005 Mobile Edition on Windows CE .NET 4.2-based devices
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=924811
SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services
FIX: The cells may be incorrectly updated when you execute multiple UPDATE CUBE statements in a single transaction in SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=923475
FIX: You may experience stack corruption and SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services may stop responding when you run SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services on a Dual-Core Intel Itanium 2 Processor 9000 Series-based computer
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=925754
An update is available for SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services that adds partition information to the existing schema that is returned by the DISCOVER_PARTITION_INFO rowset