Voice of the DBA

Author: way0utwest

  • Off

    I’m off for a few days. Actually, today and most of next week. I completed my achievement, getting all my vacation scheduled, and this one of those days. I also have most of next week off, so I’ll be taking time with family over the Thanksgiving holiday to relax a bit, and likely, work on my latest woodworking project.

    The blog will be a bit hit and miss as I work around time off. Apart from next week, and the week of Christmas, I’ve mostly got some random days each week, 1-2, where I hope to have views like this:

    Photo Nov 18, 12 45 28 PM

  • Real World T-SQL Tricks

    I’ve been playing more with T-SQL this year, doing some testing and development in various places. I’ve been trying to improve my skills, and keeping up with the advancements the language has made in the last few versions. Like many of you, if I haven’t had the need for a particular feature, or the chance to implement it, I haven’t done much with it.

    I think that’s the case with many people, who may not catch all the changes in T-SQL with new versions, especially if you upgrade after a year or two and don’t often do more than refactor the existing code you have in production. In the spirit of improving skills, and also learning more about how others work in this profession, I want to ask you:

    Have you used any of these T-SQL items in production code?

    • APPLY
    • THROW
    • LAG/LEAD
    • a tally table
    • symmetric or asymmetric keys
    • TRY..CONVERT
    • CONCAT/FORMAT
    • IIF
    • SEQUENCE

    Some of these have been around for a long time, some are new in SQL Server 2012, but they are all improvements beyond the core T-SQL language that I see so many people posting and asking questions about.

    Let us know this week if you’ve used any of these constructs, and if you can, how they solve a problem that you struggled with in the past, or maybe how these new features have improved performance or sped up code development.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcast

    Listen to the MP3 Audio ( 2.0MB) podcast or subscribe to the feed at iTunes and LibSyn.

  • Encryption in Colorado Springs – Encrypting in the Application?

    Last night was my annual presentation at the Colorado Springs SQL Server User Group. I try to make sure I get down there at least once a year, and it’s been only once a year for the last few years. Far too busy, and I’m sorry for that, but I am glad I get invited to go down.

    I presented The Encryption Primer, and there were a few interesting questions asked. Always good to see people debating and asking questions.

    One interesting one from a developer – If I can perform encryption in the application, why would I do use something like TDE or column level encryption?

    To me, I prefer to do encryption as close to the source as possible. If I can do the encryption in the application front end, I’d do it there. It reduces the chances of having the data accidentally disclosed. I don’t have to worry about having data read across the wire, or in a backup tape, or anywhere else.

    However that takes time and effort. Developers are expensive, and they have to write good, solid, secure code in the application. They also have to write this encryption code in every application that accesses the database (reports, ETL, etc.).

    Something like TDE is much easier to setup and use. Column level encryption, while still coding, is centralized.

    It’s a balance, and one you need to consider carefully and thoroughly. It also helps to debate and discuss the decisions about what you protect, why, and what it costs.

  • Achievement Unlocked: Balance 0

    Earlier this week I got a notice that I hadn’t completed a task this year. It’s one that I’ve rarely finished in the past, and probably not in any year in the last 10. However I decided this year that I should buckle down and get this done. I’m proud to say that I spent about an hour working on the task and got it done.

    What was the task? Taking all my vacation.

    I’ve got some amazing benefits from Red Gate Software, and my holiday allowance is one of them. However I’ve often struggled to allocate out my time, and with travel and my concerns over keeping this site running, I usually carry over a few days. I often sell a few back as well, and I’m actually glad that there are limits on both of those actions. If left to my own devices, I might become much more unbalanced than I have been in the past.

    I had a couple of weeks left, but to keep SQLServerCentral running in top form and ensure that you are getting information to help you improve your SQL Server skills, I can’t disappear on short notice. As a result, I’ve spread out my time off across the rest of this year and will be absent a number of days in December. Some is real vacation, some are days off that where I’ll have to decide what I want to do with the time.

    I know far too many people in technology skip vacations or don’t plan enough time off. I’ve been trying to get better at this each year, and I’m happy to say that I’ve finally managed to use up all my holiday for 2014. Don’t be like me. Schedule your time off and take it. Recharge, refresh, and enjoy the rest of your life. Remember that you work to live, you don’t live to work.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcast

    Listen to the MP3 Audio ( 2.2MB) podcast or subscribe to the feed at iTunes and LibSyn.