Blending life, nature and technology.
windows server 2008
SQL Server 2008 R2 Express
Jul 29th
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 now has a maximum database size limit of 10Gb as opposed to the former limit of 4Gb. Small organizations and Microsoft Access migration will find this useful.
Heres a link for downloading SQL 2008 R2 Express
Heres an easy installation guide link.
SQL Server 2008 R2 – SSIS
May 18th
Did an upgrade today from SQL Server 2008 R2 CTP [community technical preview] evaluation software to the final RTM [release to manufacturing] version.
One thing l noticed – l cant find a service for SSIS – Sql server integrated services – under the usual list of SQL services using SCCM – SQL server configuration manager. Seems Microsoft must have integrated or condensed this somehow in the SQL engine. While installing the upgrade [select tools from the SQL server installation center, then select upgrade fro sql server 2000/2005/2008] l did see SSIS as a checked list of SQL server component options.
SSIS is a core component used for ETL – extraction, transformation & Load.
Will provide an update on this as l find out more.
SQL Server 2008 Data Collection..
Apr 25th
Setup steps involved in code and pictures:
1) Create a SQL login account to use for this.
USE [master]
GO
CREATE LOGIN [dwlogin] WITH PASSWORD=N’xxxxxx’,
DEFAULT_DATABASE=[master],
CHECK_EXPIRATION=OFF, CHECK_POLICY=OFF
GO
2)
- right click on data collection under your database instance/management group
- select configure management data warehouse
- next
- create a management data warehouse
- click on new
- enter a name for the data collection database, accept defauly options
- next
- select dwlogin, nt authority\system, nt service\sqlserveragent and assign role mdw_admin
- next
- finish
right click on data collection, configure management data warehouse, setup data collection
click next, then click finish
You will notice under sql agent -> jobs – that some Data collection related jobs eg collectionset_3_upload have been created for you.
You can access reports by going to:
Datacollection -> reports -> management data warehouse ->
- server activity history
- disk usage summary
- query statistics history
SQL Server 2008 R2 adds a new option for bringing Microsoft Server virtualization concepts to database servers – its called Utility information. Click here for a demo video explaining this.
Management -> Data collection -> Start data collection set – gives the below error. I’ll update this blog on resolving this.
TITLE: Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Collector
——————————
Unable to start collection set Utility Information.
For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&ProdVer=10.50.1447.4+((KJ_RTM).100213-0103+)&LinkId=20476
——————————
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
An exception occurred while executing a Transact-SQL statement or batch. (Microsoft.SqlServer.ConnectionInfo)
——————————
Caught error#: 14693, Level: 16, State: 1, in Procedure: sp_syscollector_start_collection_set, Line: 108, with Message: A collection set cannot start without a schedule. Specify a schedule for the collection set. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 14684)
For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&ProdVer=10.50.1352&EvtSrc=MSSQLServer&EvtID=14684&LinkId=20476
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BUTTONS:
OK
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SQL Server 2008 R2 installation notes…
Apr 17th
Click here to view my installation by pictures webpage for Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2
Network…
Mar 6th
Finally decided to revisit my home network – LAN and Wireless, especially with respect to wifi security.
My setup essentially is this: a private Gigabit Local Area Network [LAN] using 192.168.0.x ip address range served by a dhcp server running off Smoothwall Express – an open source based excellent firewall program. I downloaded the iso from here, and installed it on a hardly used old but trusty Dell Poweredge 2300 server. My main server – running Windows 2008 has a static ip address and runs on a Dell Poweredge SC430. The 10/100/1000 gigabit switches – mainly cisco/netgear – enable me move large 3d rendered graphics files and family video files been edited across my server to/fro my prime Quad-core windows 7 64bit 8gb workstation.
For wireless – l gave away my old linksys a/b router – this router supports only WEP which is easily hackable. Retained my Dlink DIR-625 wireless router – set to 172.168.0.x ip address range, with the ethernet input from the smootwall green output. Smoothwall setup was Green+Red – Green is for the internal LAN while red represents the external network/internet interface from usually a home cable modem. I use WPA2-PSK for security at 802.11n wifi speed. The main reason l got this particular wireless router is – it offers parents the ability to lock out kid internet access at specific time. You simply reserve specific ip address for say kid x’s PC. Set a rule such as : internet off from 9pm to 5am workdays.
My 2nd wireless router is the Buffalo Airstation Turbo G WHR-G545 – 802.11g which l set at 172.168.16.x ip address range, with security set at WPA-PSK, key set to renew every 60mins. It supports TKIP as well as AOSS also. Installed at the 2nd half of the home, this gives adequate wireless coverage to any laptop that can authenticate with the right password.
Lingo:
A PSK is a 256-bit value, known to every device in the WLAN. That PSK is usually generated by combining the WLAN’s name (Service Set Identifier, SSID) (define) with a passphrase (an ASCII (define) string, 8-63 characters.)
Installing Sharepoint 2010 Beta..
Feb 19th
Microsoft Sharepoint 2010 beta software requires the following:
- Application server role, web server IIS Role
- SQL Server 2008 native client
- Microsoft “Geneva” framework runtime
- Microsoft Chart Controls for Microsoft Framework 3.5
- Microsoft Filter Pack 2.0
- SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services ADOCMD.NET
I attempted to install this on a development Windows 2008 R2 server, which already had SQL Server 2008 R2 installed. Out of the list below, l only needed to pre-install the Geneva framework runtime, MS chart control and ADOMD.net SQL 2008 Analysis services – even though l had SSAS installed as a SQL Server 2008 component.
Will post pictures later.
To install, you download the 575Mb Office2010 beta executable from Microsoft’s Sharepoint Website.
Running this, you first select – install software prerequities to deal with above. A reboot is required. The you select install sharepoint server.
Source for the Beta Product key – click here.
Since l would be using a separate SQL Server instalation – not sql server express, l did not select standalone. Then l selected complete installation, and changed my install paths to Drive D not Drive C – which l always reserve soley for OS installations only. Next, you select run the sharepoint configuration wizard. Click close. Select yes to restart necessary services. I selected Create a new server farm.
Problems removing a SQL2005 replication publication and subscription
Feb 11th
Issue:
use [MyDB]
exec sp_dropsubscription
@publication = N’pbMyDBSnapshotPull’,
@subscriber = N’YYY\MyDBX’,
@destination_db = N’MyDB’,
@article = N’all’
GO
Result
Msg 20032, Level 16, State 1, Procedure sp_MSdrop_subscription, Line 85
‘YYY\MyDBMOBILE’ is not defined as a Subscriber for ‘YYY\MYDBINSTANCE’.
Msg 14070, Level 16, State 1, Procedure sp_MSrepl_changesubstatus, Line 1210
Could not update the distribution database subscription table. The subscription status could not be changed.
Solution:
use [MyDB]
exec sp_dropsubscription
@publication = N’pbMyDBSnapshotPull’,
@subscriber = N’YYY\MyDBX’,
@destination_db = N’MyDB’,
@article = N’all’,
@ignore_distributor=1 –<<<<<<< *** Fix ************
GO
Result
The Subscriber was dropped.
Transferring logins and passwords between SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008
Jan 15th
This link is very useful and details how to transfer the logins and the passwords between instances of Microsoft SQL Server 2005, and Microsoft SQL Server 2008, on different servers. – Microsoft Knowledge Base: #246133
Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 15401
Jan 15th
Got this error a lot when trying to add NT user accounts on a SQL Server 2008 installation that was connected to a Windows 2008R2 server running Active Directory 2008 at Windows 2000 functional level. Same error message appeared when troubleshooting this from a SQL Server 2005 instance in the same server environment.
You’ll keep getting “Windows NT User or group ‘MyDomain\MyUser’ not found. Check the name again. Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 15401″
Azure sample database setup….
Dec 29th
Notes on setting up the sample database – adventureworks [click here] for Microsoft’s cloud computing sql server called Azure:
- you need an account – get one from sql.azure.com - it takes some time for your access information to arrive by email.
- download the sample database using link above
- extract/unzip to a known location
- make sure you add your home/work/workstation actual external facing ip address to the firewall settings
- wait for 5-10 mins for your ip address to be accepted by the azure online firewall system
- run the script commands below
See commands/reference pictures below:
Server Name: serverx serverx.database.windows.net
Administrator Username: userx
Server Location: South Central US
db name: ankh
cd dw
buildawdwaz.cmd tcp:serverx.database.windows.net userx@serverx passwordx
cd lt
buildawltaz.cmd tcp:serverx.database.windows.net userx@serverx passwordx
