Voice of the DBA

Category: Blog

  • Daily Coping 12 Mar 2021

    I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag. 

    Today’s tip is to bring to mind people you care about and send love to them.

    My direct family is very important to me, and I try to think about them and let them know regularly. Extended family less, but they are still people I care and worry about.

    However, there are others in the community that I contact less, and I want to take time to think about them for a few minutes. I don’t want to name people directly, but I’ll generally remember think about them in this post.

    I have a friend that is struggling with work and professional changes during the pandemic. We’ve been trying to get together, but it’s been hard. I sympathize, but I also know how busy I can get and how stress can increase if friends are reaching out a lot. As a result, I’ve tried to not put pressure on us getting together. Just a few “hope you’re doing well” notes.

    Another friend is in a new role. Busy, trying to impress, trying to do more, and enjoying it. I’m hoping this person is doing well and I’m looking forward to seeing them sometime in the next year.

    I’ve got someone I used to see regularly in my travels, and have enjoyed many drinks and meals over the years. I’m missing those interactions, but I see from their activity that they seem to be coping, probably better than I have been. I’m cheering them on today.

  • Daily Coping 11 Mar 2021

    I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

    Today’s tip is to talk three calm breaths at regular intervals during the day.

    Stop for a minute, and take a few breaths. I’ve learned that from practicing yoga. For a few years, I pushed to adopt poses and work as quickly as I could. Then I realized that breathing really matters, and slowing my breath can be challenging.

    I’ve also seen that breathing deep at different points in my day can relax my body. It can reduce some stress, and it clears my head.

    I’m not big on meditation, but I do like to pause at times and breath. Consciously, deeply, and controlled.

  • Quick NoLock with SQL Prompt

    First, please, please, please, avoid NoLock. You can lose data, or get strange results, as Jason Strate demonstrates (blog | video). Before you read further or try this, read his post and look at Kendra’s video.

    I had a customer request an easy way to add NOLOCK to tables in SQL Prompt. This person wanted to be able to highlight a table and make this happen. Fortunately, this is easy in Prompt.

    A snippet will allow you do this on demand. I’ll explain how.

    First, open the Snippet manager from the SQL Prompt menu in SSMS.

    2021-02-26 13_34_26-

    Click “New” to create a new snippet.

    2021-02-26 13_34_35-SQL Prompt – Options

    When the form appears, fill it out as shown. Feel free to change the snippet code if you want. The $SELECTEDTEXT$ is the key. This allows me to have this snippet available when you highlight a table name.

    2021-02-26 13_34_49-SQL Prompt - Edit Snippet

    Save this, and then when you highlight a table, you can have Prompt add nolock by pressing CTRL and then typing your snippet name. It will be in the popup list.

    I also have an animated gif to show this:

    promptnolock

  • Daily Coping 10 Mar 2021

    I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag. 

    Today’s tip is to notice how you speak to yourself. Try to use kind words.

    I can be hard on myself. If I don’t get something done that I planned, or I skip out on some activity, I get a little annoyed with myself. My long running streak was the result of this attitude, but it can be unhealthy if I don’t have flexibility with myself.

    As I get older, and hopefully a little wiser, I to be more understanding of the choices I make and the benefits or costs of each. Skipping the gym isn’t necessarily a bad choice, depending on why. I’m also learning to better listen to the state of my physical and mental health on a regular basis.

    As a result, I try not to berate myself, or not to denigrate myself. I’m trying to continue to push myself to be better, but understand that a step backwards at times is OK. Remind myself of the accomplishments and then encourage myself to move forward again tomorrow.