I've been trying out the windowing extensions (the OVER clause extensions and friends) with different kinds of functions (aggregate functions, first_value, last_value() etc), and thought I'd use a SQLCLR aggregate. After all, they're just "regular" aggregates, right? You can't build a user-defined ranking aggregate in SQLCLR, so they can't be confused with one of those. […]
Bob Beauchemin
SQL Server Blog
Hold it right there, you’re a user-defined aggregate
Posted on: July 27, 2011 6:43 pm
A row-level and label security offering for SQL Server
Posted on: July 20, 2011 1:59 pm
Two of the security features that folks have asked me about, especially since around 2002, is row-level and label security. Row-level security was present in one of the early betas (beta 1, IIRC) of SQL Server 2005, but it was pulled almost right after that beta release, never to return. Row-level security is a self-descriptive […]
What exactly does PERCENTILE_CONT do, anyhow?
Posted on: July 14, 2011 3:57 pm
I'm always leery when I hear people say "statistics show that…" followed by whatever their opinion is. Scientists do it. And your users probably do it too. I worked with a product called SAS once, on statistics for response time. Got some lovely reports and statistics, *from which other folks draw conclusions*. It's important to step […]
SQLskills Developer-focused Immersion Event in October
Posted on: July 13, 2011 4:25 pm
After talking with folks about the SQLskills DBA Immersion training, one thing that always comes up is the fact that database developers feel left out. Well, you're left out no more! SQLskills is going to be doing a week-long SQL Server Developer Immersion Event (given by yours truly, of course) starting this fall. Although I've […]
Install me next… Denali CTP3 Books Online
Posted on: July 12, 2011 9:47 am
After downloading CTP3, I immediately (well, almost immediately) went to set the options to view Books Online from local storage. You'all do know how to do that, Help and Community off the start menu, Manage Help Settings. But downloading BOL gets CTP1 also. Online BOL is still CTP1, last time I tried. Bummer. So I […]
Interesting observations on a late-night CTP3 install
Posted on: July 12, 2011 8:48 am
So I was awake late last night and, lo and behold, there was a web link for Denali CTP3 posted on Twitter. Downloaded and installed it. Brought it up and looked for a few new items (features) announced at SQLPASS last year and TechEd US 2011 this year that should be there. They were. Maybe […]
Speaking at Portland SQL Server User Group this month
Posted on: July 8, 2011 12:46 pm
Just to let you know… I'll be speaking at the Portland, OR, SQL Server User Group meeting this month on July 28. The topic will be "What's New in SQL Server Denali". There's a lot of new features (and more coming soon), so I'll try not to just list off the name of each of […]
A First Look at Data-Tier Applications 2.0
Posted on: July 6, 2011 1:44 pm
The next version of Data-Tier Applications is version 2.0. You can get a CTP of it today; where the CTP is located really gives away the game. It's located at SQL Azure Labs, listed under SQL Azure "Import/Export". The writeup on this page identifies a few interesting things: 1. It's a preview of the Denali […]
Data-Tier Applications – Version 1.1 – Where?
Posted on: July 5, 2011 4:37 pm
So DAC 1.1 has been out for a while (since March 2, 2011) now. The big change is that the DAC "upgrade" process is now an in-place upgrade rather than a side-by-side upgrade. As far as I can see, you couldn't do a side-by-side upgrade in 1.1 if you wanted to. AFAIK, in-place upgrade is […]
Looking at Data-Tier Applications (DAC)? Look at version 1.1
Posted on: July 5, 2011 3:37 pm
About a week or so ago, I read a request for information about a SQL Server database management feature known as Data-Tier Applications, abbreviated as DAC (apparently someone realized that the DTA abbreviation was already "taken" in SQL Server (Database Tuning Advisor) but not that DAC was too (Dedicated Admin Connection)). Data-Tier Applications is a […]
