Renaming a SQL Server

We use virtual machines in-house to test different software configurations. Some of these servers run SQL and a part of that process is renaming the servers. SQL doesn’t like this because it stores its own name internally. Sometimes stored procedures fail, scripts may not work right and SQL Agent jobs may freak out. However, there’s a process for renaming that works pretty well.

On the SQL Server, you can retrieve the internally stored name by running the query:

SELECT @@SERVERNAME AS 'Server Name'

If the instance of SQL you’re working with is the default instance, you can change the servername using the following script:

sp_dropserver OLD_NAME

GO

sp_addserver NEW_NAME, local

GO

If the instance you’re working with is not the default instance, use the script:

sp_dropserver 'OLD_NAME\instancename'
GO
sp_addserver 'OLD_NAME\instancename', local
GO

Note that you can’t change the instance name using this process. 

The information here was pulled from Microsoft Technet at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143799.aspx

SQLPass 2011 Notes

01/22/2011 – SQLPass training at UofL in louisville Kentucky

Live notes from sessions

 

Session 1 - SQL Query performance optimization

Use Set Statistics ON to get feedback on the efficiency of your statements. Provides results, execution plan, and message that shows efficiency of the statement.

Thumb rule - whenever possible, do not use functions on select statements, far more 'busy'

BAD:

SELECT ModifiedDate

FROM SALES.Customer c

WHERE YEAR(ModifiedDate) = 2005

GOOD

SELECT ModifiedDate

FROM Sales.Customer c

WHERE ModifiedDate >= '01/01/2005' AND ModifiedDate < '01/01/2006'

Parameter Sniffing

Local variables are expensive – compiler has to make assumptions about values when creating the plan and account for possibilities.

Instead, use stored procedures with parameters. Compilation uses the actual values when compiling.

NOTE: stored proc execution plan compiles for the values present when compiled. If you rerun with new values, this requires a new plan and may be more expensive.

Action: Check out Cross Apply action.

Better Data Vis with Reporting Svcs 2008 Rw

Presenter Arie Jones arie.jones@pti.net

www.programmersedge.com

www.sqlsherpa.com

www.twitter.com/programmersedge

Check out MongoDB video on YouTube

AJ’s 10 second rule – Data vis needs to be understandable within 10 seconds of viewing the report

Image Indicators

SQL 2008 R2 includes indicators as part of the available tool elements.

When setting ranges for kpi’s, start is >=, end is <

KPI’s include all the conditiional formatting capabilities of other report elements

Custom images can be imported and used in reports (company logo)

Data Bars

Show a bar-chart style representation of values

To show multiple styles of representation based on user preference, add multiple elements and use visibility property and show / hide based on a report parameter. Can even store user preference in db and pull back into reports using a 2nd dataset for the report.

Sparklines

Show trending over time

Can use tooltips for datapoints to display the values at specific points.

Switching between sparkline types maintains tooltips, conditional expressions, etc.

Spatial Data

Includes mappings by state, by county, checkbox for bing map linking

Metadata is included in the maps so the geolocation is not needed

Running in Windows7, you have to run dev environment as Administrator

New Features

Pagination improvements

Named Excel Worksheet Tabs

Text rotation up to 270 deg

Cache refresh plans

New Web Svc endpoints

Azure data retrieval

<fill additional feature list>

 

Database Design Considerations

• Gather requirements
• Initial design
  • Tables, Columns, Relationships, Constraints
• Normal Forms <investigate>
• Atomicity – break data down until it cannot be split further
  • Store data at the level you want to use it to report
• To be in 1NF, some uniqueness needs to be on a column in the table that has meaning
• FName,Lname,Children not 1NF – Custnum,FName,LName good
• Investiage Boyce-Codd normal Forms

Real World Analytics

• Ranking Data
• Recursive expressions
• Rows to columns / crosstab or pivot
• Use DateDiff() to programmable start / end dates rather than using functions – functions cannot make use of table indexes and prompt full scans rather than seeks
• Check on Anchor queries, recursive CTE
• Mark Wills article Dynamic Pivot Procedure for SQL Server – http://e-e.com/A_653.html

Red Gate SQL Monitor

Presenter Louis Davidson – drsql@hotmail.com

• http://monitor.red-gate.com
• Does not offer remote agent pushing to collection server, CS has to pull from remote servers

Effective SQL: Understanding Order of Operation

Presenter Kevin C. Cross – Elliott Tool Technologies LTD

• PEMDAS
• Parenthesis
• Exponents
• Multiplication and Division
• Addition and Subtraction
• Additional
• Unary Operations
• Modulo
• Type Conversions / Collation
• Bitwise and logical operations

BAD:

SELECT *

FROM Products

WHERE CATEGORY = 1 OR CATEGORY = 2

AND PRICE <=40

The price <=40 is tied to the second Category, not as a second where clause

GOOD:

SELECT *

FROM PRODUCTS

WHERE (CATEGORY = 1 OR CATEGORY = 2)

AND PRICE <= 40

• To avoid integer division where 1/3 = 0, use mathematics in the query to cast one of the values to a float. This avoids the expensive use of dropping a formula on top of the column.

BAD: Select cast(column1) / column2

Good: SELECT column1 * 1.00 / column2

• Like data type conversions, collation will be applied to string before comparison (EXPENSIVE)
• Bitwise ops are equal to arithmetic (after multiplation / division)
• When joining, start with the table that contains the most data you’re using – use the least selective table
• Select precedence
• from
• where
• group by
• having
• select
• distinct
• union all
• order by
• top

Removing a Company from GP

If a company was deleted by detaching or deleting the DB from SQL, there will be orphaned records in the DYNAMICS database.

In order to remove the company, use the following script -

/* ClearCompanys.sql - Script that will clear out all entrys in the DYNAMICS

database referencing databases that no longer exist on the SQL Server.

Requirements:

Company database you wish to have cleaned out of the tables in the DYNAMICS

database must be removed from the SQL server before running this script.

Ensure that all your databases have been restored or they will be erased

from the DYNAMICS database.

*/

set nocount on

/* Remove all references in the company master (SY01500) for databases that

Do not exist on the SQL Server */

delete DYNAMICS..SY01500 where INTERID not in

(select name from master..sysdatabases)

/* Clear out all tables in DYNAMICS database that have a CMPANYID field

that no longer matches any Company ID's in the SY01500 */

USE DYNAMICS

declare @CMPANYID char(150)

declare CMPANYID_Cleanup CURSOR for

select 'delete ' + o.name + ' where CMPANYID not in (0,-32767)'

+ ' and CMPANYID not in (select CMPANYID from DYNAMICS..SY01500)'

from sysobjects o, syscolumns c

where        o.id = c.id

and o.type = 'U'

and c.name = 'CMPANYID'

and o.name <> 'SY01500' order by o.name

OPEN CMPANYID_Cleanup

FETCH NEXT from CMPANYID_Cleanup into @CMPANYID

while (@@FETCH_STATUS <>-1)

begin

exec (@CMPANYID)

FETCH NEXT from CMPANYID_Cleanup into @CMPANYID

end

DEALLOCATE CMPANYID_Cleanup

go

/* Clear out all tables in DYNAMICS database that have a companyID field

that no longer matches any Company ID's in the SY01500 */

USE DYNAMICS

declare @companyID char(150)

declare companyID_Cleanup CURSOR for

select 'delete ' + o.name + ' where companyID not in (0,-32767)'

+ ' and companyID not in (select CMPANYID from DYNAMICS..SY01500)'

from sysobjects o, syscolumns c

where        o.id = c.id

and o.type = 'U'

and c.name = 'companyID'

and o.name <> 'SY01500'

set nocount on

OPEN companyID_Cleanup

FETCH NEXT from companyID_Cleanup into @companyID

while (@@FETCH_STATUS <>-1)

begin

exec (@companyID)

FETCH NEXT from companyID_Cleanup into @companyID

end

DEALLOCATE companyID_Cleanup

go

/* Clear out all tables in DYNAMICS database that have a db_name field

that no longer matches any company names (INTERID) in the SY01500 */

USE DYNAMICS

declare @db_name char(150)

declare db_name_Cleanup CURSOR for

select 'delete ' + o.name + ' where db_name <> ''DYNAMICS'' and db_name <> ''''

and db_name not in (select INTERID from DYNAMICS..SY01500)'

from sysobjects o, syscolumns c

where        o.id = c.id

and o.type = 'U'

and c.name = 'db_name'

set nocount on

OPEN db_name_Cleanup

FETCH NEXT from db_name_Cleanup into @db_name

while (@@FETCH_STATUS <>-1)

begin

exec (@db_name)

FETCH NEXT from db_name_Cleanup into @db_name

end

DEALLOCATE db_name_Cleanup

GO

set nocount on

/* Clear out all tables in DYNAMICS database that have a dbname field

that no longer matches any company names (INTERID) in the SY01500 */

USE DYNAMICS

declare @dbname char(150)

declare dbname_Cleanup CURSOR for

select 'delete ' + o.name + ' where DBNAME <> ''DYNAMICS'' and DBNAME <> ''''

and DBNAME not in (select INTERID from DYNAMICS..SY01500)'

from sysobjects o, syscolumns c

where        o.id = c.id

and o.type = 'U'

and c.name = 'DBNAME'

set nocount on

OPEN dbname_Cleanup

FETCH NEXT from dbname_Cleanup into @dbname

while (@@FETCH_STATUS <>-1)

begin

exec (@dbname)

FETCH NEXT from dbname_Cleanup into @dbname

end

DEALLOCATE dbname_Cleanup

GO

set nocount on

/* Remove all stranded references from the other Business Alerts table that

no longer exist in the SY40500 */

delete SY40502 where BARULEID NOT IN (SELECT BARULEID FROM SY40500)

delete SY40503 where BARULEID NOT IN (SELECT BARULEID FROM SY40500)

delete SY40504 where BARULEID NOT IN (SELECT BARULEID FROM SY40500)

delete SY40505 where BARULEID NOT IN (SELECT BARULEID FROM SY40500)

delete SY40506 where BARULEID NOT IN (SELECT BARULEID FROM SY40500)

GO