For data synchronization projects, using rowversion is a very effective method for detecting changes. In order to work with rowversion properly, we would need to either use @@DBTS or the function min_active_rowversion. Understanding the differences between these values will help in building synchronization processes correctly.

MariaDB is a derivative of MySQL with the intent to keep this open source as well as compatible with MySQL. Sometimes it is necessary to import objects and data from MariaDB to SQL Server. In this example, we will work through the steps in SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) to import the table structure and the data.

As a SQL Server DBA we need to have backups onsite and offsite to protect our organization. We need a SQL Server offsite backup solution that will support all of the features in the environment, encrypt the backups, guarantee our backups are restorable and have a high performance restore process. Do you have any suggestions? Should we be considering options for SQL Server cloud backups?

We’ve looked our current schedule for DBA tasks, such as checking database integrity, re-indexing, and backing up databases, and found that it fails to match when the users access it. We’d like to create a schedule structure with conservative time estimates and begin with backing up, as some of our other processes occur before backing up databases. Is there a way to automate timing and tracking processes, such as backing up a database to adjust a schedule if necessary later, when the database grows or when access to it begins to change?

Sometimes as a DBA we need to generate a T-SQL script for dropping and creating indexes in our SQL Server databases. However, SQL Server Management Studio does not have an easy way via the wizard to complete these tasks all at the same time. In this tip, we look at a provide a script drop all SQL Server indexes and create all SQL Server indexes in a single SQL Server database.

I want to get a catalog of all the SQL Server services running on my servers. How might I do this? I don’t want to take a bunch of screenshots of SQL Server Configuration Manager or SQL Server Management Studio. Surely there’s a better way!

Your boss gives you a text file to import into a SQL Server database. It looks like piece of cake, but you suddenly realize that the text file is in EBCDIC format. In this tip I will show you how to proceed to convert EBCDIC data on the fly in a Data Flow Task with a Script Transformation in SQL Server Integration Services.

A few years ago, I was working as a contractor for a Federal Government organization on the National Help Desk. It was my responsibility to build and maintain managerial statistical SQL Server Reporting Services reports. It would slow down my productivity each time I had to come up with a new date range as a default to be used in a new report. How can I manage dates in a consistent way in SQL Server Reporting Services?

I created a line chart in Reporting Services (SSRS). In order to analyze the data better, I�d like to add some sort of trendline to the graph, such as a weighted average for example. In Excel it is possible to add this functionality with just a few clicks. Can we achieve the same in SSRS without having to do many extra calculations?

PowerShell has many uses for SQL Server DBAs and Developers. There have been several tips written about different aspects and how PowerShell can be used with SQL Server. In this video tip, Tim Smith looks at six useful PowerShell scripts that can be used to simplify day to day tasks.