SQL Shack round-up – May 1st, 2014 – SQL Server disaster recovery, Policy Based Management, SQL Server statistics, SQL Server Business Intelligence, and the SQL Server sequence object feature

In the last two weeks, we wrote series of articles about SQL Server statistics, Policy Based Management, SQL Server query execution plans, and started a series about SQL Server Business Intelligence. We also described basics of backup and restore techniques on SQL server and explained Sequence as a SQL Server object type introduced in SQL Server 2012.

SQL Server Policy Based Management – The On Change evaluation mode is the next article in the Policy Based Management series. It explains the evaluation modes that policies can use against defined targets, focusing on the specific On Change evaluation mode. The article explains which policies can use the On Change evaluation mode and what are its advantages and limitations.

The SQL Server Business Intelligence – Introduction article explains SQL Server Business Intelligence and how it gives a sense of a SQL Server data by transforming it into presentable information that provides decision-making value to the right people at the right time.

The next in series of SQL Server Business Intelligence articles is about SQL Server Data Tools and it provides a deeper understanding into the creation of an ETL (Extract, Transform and Load) dataflow. We explained the basic functionality of SQL Server Data Tools and how to use it to keep your data warehouse up to date.

SQL Server 2012 – Sequence objects feature article describes the SQL Server Sequence object added as an alternative to IDENTITY columns feature that has been prevalent in SQL Server versions prior to SQL Server 2012. We described use, administering, limitations, and the comparison between the Sequence object and IDENTITY.

Inaccurate SQL Server statistics – a SQL query performance killer article explains statistics as a collection of distinct values in a specific table column or columns, collected by SQL Server by sampling table data. We explained how SQL Statistics affect SQL Server performance as the information about the parameters used in query optimization and selecting an optimal query execution plan are provided by the statistics. Also, we provided examples and tips for working with SQL Server statistics, why and how they affect SQL Server performance, and how to see, modify, or update them.

The next in series of inaccurate SQL Server statistics articles is focused on updating the statistics. The article explains how to perform an update using different methods, explains used parameters for the UPDATE STATISTICS statement, and provides guidelines that can help you determine the right strategy.

What is backup and restore in SQL Server disaster recovery explains basic definitions on SQL Server backup and restore, implementation examples, and describes operating modes and recovery models SQL Server databases use. In addition, we described advantages and disadvantages of using native SQL Server backup and restore features.

May 1, 2014