SQL Server Latest Updates (Jan. 2016)

Directly from the SQL Server Release Service blog, here the latest updates for SQL Server 2012 SP2 and SP3:

Cumulative Update #1 for SQL Server 2012 SP3

Cumulative Update #10 for SQL Server 2012 SP2

Additionally, Microsoft announced the release of TLS (Transport Layer Security) 1.2 support for SQL Server 2008, 2008 R2, 2012 and 2014. Read more here.

Stay Tuned! 🙂

How to manage SQL Server security with SQL Source Control

One of the most common issue you can find when source controlling the database is about the security. How to manage the users and the related permissions?

If you use to apply permission to users and to assign users to the database, this can be a problem, especially when you are in the deployment phase (or else when getting latest versions from the source control). Let’s see these two scenarios:

Continue reading “How to manage SQL Server security with SQL Source Control”

A 2015 full of DLM

After SQL Saturday Pordenone, I’ll keep speaking about DLM (aka ALM on databases) during the following events:

PASS Italian Virtual Chapter, April 14. I’ll demonstrate the SQL source control usage on SQL Server database
PASS SQL Saturday Torino, May 23, I’ve proposed two sessions (source control and unit testing on database)
.Net Campus a Roma, May 30, I’ll speak about continuous integration with SQL Server (source control, unit testing, deploy).
There’s a lot of work to do. But I’m thinking now about two or three new sessions. I hope to finish them in the last months of the year, and I hope to meet you in one of  these events, at least online.
Stay tuned!

 

Accessing SQL Server data with Simple.Data

Recently Michael suggested me a lightweight framework for accessing and manipulating data with SQL Server. I’ve tried it and I’ve found some misunderstanding on the official documentation. The framework I’m speaking for is Simple.Data, a very user-friendly, simple-to-install, quick-to-apply, open and lightweight framework.

After some tests I’ve started to write down an article, that should be taken like a reference due to missing information on official documentation.

You can find it here (in italian).

Hope this helps!

Stay Tuned! 🙂

Interview with Kris Wenzel on EssentialSQL.com

EssentialSQL.com is a very useful resource for learning SQL Server.

As in the website homepage: “Now it is time to learn SQL in simple English.”
Kris would like to reach the following goals:
  • Get started in an easy to follow step-by-step manner.
  • Use reader’s time wisely (focusing on what is important to learn to get the most value from your time).
  • Answer the questions.
It’s an important contribute to the SQL Server community. Kris explains here why he’s started to write EssentialSQL.com.
I’ve found this interview very interesting. We’ve spoken about my favourite topics, like Source control on database and database unit testing. This is my job, everyday.
We’ve spoken also about worst practices I saw in my past experiences and then he asked me to give some suggestion to people who start to explore SQL Server.
Thus, if you have a couple of minutes, you can read my interview here.
Stay tuned! 🙂

SQL Saturday Parma – English Slide decks available to download

My SQL Saturday Parma slide decks are available to download on SlideShare.

The main topic of those presentations is database lifecycle management (DLM) on SQL Server.
Concepts: ALM/DLM, team work, differences between code and databases.
We’ve demonstrated the usage of the following tools: Visual Studio with SQL Server Data ToolsRed-Gate ed ApexSQL.
Second session: “Unit testing su database“.
Concepts: unit testing, database testing vs code testing.
We’ve demonstrated testing tools like Red-Gate SQL Test and Visual Studio Unit test projects, and the TSQLUnit framework.
Additionally, I’ve created a set of sample scripts with T-SQL and TSQLUnit on MSDN Code Samples.
Stay Tuned! 🙂

LepideAuditor for SQL Server review

Every day a DBA (or a developer), has to reply to questions like “who changed that table?” or “who tried to login on our production database?”. These answers are not so simple to find out, actually. LepideAuditor for SQL Server is a tool that can helps us to audit operations on a SQL Server instance and to monitor both the server and the database level.

Continue reading “LepideAuditor for SQL Server review”

SQL Server with Red-gate SQL Source Control – Working folder management with TFS

I’ve already spoken about source controlling database using Visual Studio Online and Red-Gate SQL Source Control in this post. The described kind of approach brings a drawback, due to the nature of the plugin and VSO APIs: High latency when getting and syncing local database and workspaces.

Due to this problem, I’ve changed my settings when linking my databases, switching them from “Team Foundation Server (TFS)” to “Working folder“, as in the following picture:

Continue reading “SQL Server with Red-gate SQL Source Control – Working folder management with TFS”

SQL Server latest Cumulative Updates (Apr. 2014)

Directly from the Microsoft Release Service blog, here is the list of latest updates for SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 and 2014 RTM (actually, for 2014 is also the first 😉 ):

SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2

Cumulative Update #12 for SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2

SQL Server 2014 RTM

Cumulative Update #1 for SQL Server 2014 RTM

logosql2014

Please note that there is an issue that affects the packaging of CU1 that is causing a failure during slipstream installation. More details on this KB Article.

 

Stay Tuned! 🙂