I know most of my important file locations by heart. Whenever I need to do things that require typing out a file's full path, such as copying a backup or taking a peek at logs, I can type those paths from memory without issue. On the other hand, when I'm working with systems I'm less familiar with or have never seen …

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The ability to keep track of what's being executed on a SQL Server instance, or to create a read-only copy of a database at a specific point in time can be very valuable if required by the solution you are developing. But a lesser-known fact about SQL Auditing and Database Snapshots is that not only do they work well …

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Pro Tip: If you're a recruiter and sending out mass emails about positions you're trying to fill, do yourself a favor and make sure you're not accidentally including other things, like a letter of reprimand from your boss. The names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent, but here's the email I received …

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With over 40 weeks to go, PASS Summit 2014 may seem like the distant future, however the planning phase is already well underway. An event like the Summit is only possible because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers, and opportunities to help this year are already starting to pop up. One such opportunity is the …

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This year Chicago will be hosting it's 5th SQL Saturday! SQL Saturday #291: Chicago 2014 is now open for registration! As always, the event itself is free. An optional lunch will be provided for $10. We are once again very grateful to DeVry University for hosting us. This year it will take place on Saturday April 26, …

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This post is part of the DBA JumpStart series being written by myself and 19 other professionals from the SQL Server community and coordinated by John Sansom (@SQLBrit). It has been compiled into a free eBook, which can be found here. Be sure to download a copy! If you could give an aspiring DBA just one piece of …

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Just a quick note that the PASS Summit 2014 Early Bird rate of $1095 ends Friday 6 December. You don't have to look very hard to find lots of [blog posts][2] about how PASS Summit is an [amazing experience][3] at any price, but this is a great opportunity to save $1200 off the full registration rate. Starting Saturday …

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I'm very happy to be making the trek up to Appleton, Wisconsin to speak at FoxPASS next week! I'll be delivering my presentation entitled "Whatcha Doin'? Passive Security for Hostile Environments", which I presented to a packed room at this year's PASS Summit. Here's the abstract: Ideal database security …

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There was an interesting debate on Twitter the other day over whether or not it's important for an interviewee to know what a company does, or if they should just know whatever technology the job description calls for and nothing else. Jen McCown blogged about it in detail and included a lot of comments. There are …

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I'm very proud to have contributed a chapter to Tribal SQL, which is now available for purchase at Amazon and finer bookstores everywhere. This is the first book I've had any part in writing, something I never thought I would do. I always hated English and literature classes in school – if it wasn't math, hard science, …

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