SQL Server like all databases goes through a number of steps when it receives a command. Besides parsing and validating the command text and parameters it looks at the database schema, statistics and indexes to come up with a plan to efficiently query or change your data.

You can view the plan SQL Server comes up with for a given query in SQL Management Studio by selecting Include Actual Execution Plan from the Query menu before running your query.

I had to do a couple of ad-hoc Excel jobs today and found that whilst Excel has a VLookupVLookup function for spreadsheet/ranges it doesn’t have one for databases.

It’s been a while since I touched VBA and Access but the DLookup function was quite useful so here it is for Excel. Read the warnings below before you use it!

Part of my job involves revising our SQL Server architecture. My plan includes the addition of a read-only reporting SQL pair for non-critical inquiries and reports. This allows the heavy and unpredictable load from reporting away from from the primary SQL pair responsible for critical operations (shipping orders).

We utilized SQL Server’s publisher-subscriber replication on the required databases which, given their legacy nature, had some cross-database dependencies that were added without due consideration.

For some time my primary workplace has been having a problem with SQL Server replication delaying for several minutes at a time which is surprising given the 12GB of RAM and quad processor hardware behind it.

Activity Monitor showed a number of processes on the distribution database used for SQL Server’s replication were blocked by another process which was in turn blocked by a SQL Agent — TSQL Job executing on the distribution database.

Microsoft have announced SQL Server Everywhere as part of their line-up for SQL Server.

Everywhere is based upon SQL Server Mobile Edition but available for Windows XP platform. It is already used by MSN Client and Media Center PC.