Voice of the DBA

Tag: syndicated

  • Decisions, Decisions. Fall Events

    I was looking over my travel calendar this fall, and I’m somewhat amazed at the variety of events that are being held for SQL Server professionals. There are a number of SQL Saturdays, and if you can attend those, I’d highly urge you to do so. Most are free, or perhaps cost you a lunch fee, but they are great chances to see SQL Server presentations, network with colleagues, and get inspired with new ways to work with SQL Server. They take a day out of your life (they’re usually on Saturday) and there’s no break from work, but they price is right.

    However if you want something a little more exotic, or with a few more frills, you’ve got some great choices out there. I’m listing a few that I’m attending, and I hope to see some of you at one of these events.

    SQL in the City

    I list this one first because these events are sponsored by Red Gate Software, my employer, and they’re a lot of fun. They are also the right price: free.

    Like some of the paid conferences, Red Gate does a great job with amenities and food. The locations are nice, and even though it’s a one day event, it’s a lot to absorb in one day. This fall we have 3 large events, and 2 (possibly 4) smaller, seminar events taking place in the US. We’d love to have you attend SQL in the City if you can. The locations we’ve picked this year are:

    • San Diego – A seminar event, with the DBA Team, on Friday Sept 20, 2013.
    • Denver – A seminar event on development, on Friday, Sept 27, 2013.
    • Pasadena – A large event, on Wednesday, Oct 9, 2013.
    • Atlanta – A large event, on Friday, Oct 11, 2013.
    • Charlotte – A large event, on Monday, Oct 14, 2013.

    We’ll talk about some real world issues you face, and give you possible solutions. We do show Red Gate tools, but that’s because they’re the quickest way to show you a solution to a problem.

    Register today if there’s a SQL in the City event you can come to.

    DevConnections

    devconnectionsI have spoken at and enjoyed the DevConnections events for a few years. This fall the event returns to the MGM in Las Vegas from Sept 30 – Oct 4, 2013. There’s a great lineup of SQL Server speakers, of which I am one. There’s a lot to do, a lot to learn, and a lot of fun to be had in Las Vegas. With the schedule, this is a perfect event to attend and add in a weekend vacation with family.

    One of the great things about this event is that there are 5 conferences taking place together, and with your registration, you can attend any session in any one of them. This is a great event for those of you that don’t just work with SQL Server.

    If you’ve never been, consider coming to DevConnections this fall.

    SQL Intersection

    sql-int-centerSQL Intersection is a new event, managed by SQLskills. I spoke at the event this part spring, and I enjoyed it. Like DevConnections, the event takes place in Las Vegas, located in the MGM Grand from Oct 27-30. The speakers are selected and invited, and there are some very popular and talented speakers in this group. I’m honored to be a part of the event. I think you’ll get a ton of SQL Server knowledge here that you can apply back at work.

    There are 5 events taking place at the same time, so if you are interested in learning more about development, cloud computing , Sharepoint, or Azure, this might be a good choice for you. It’s also a fantastic time to take an extra day or two in Las Vegas. Halloween is truly a spectacle in that city.

    Take this letter to your boss, then register, and I hope to shake your hand when you come. If you use “Jones” as a registration code, you’ll get $100 off, and I get some credit Winking smile

    The PASS Summit

    passsummit2013This year the PASS Summit returns to the East Coast, to Charlotte, NC from October 14-18, 2013. The first day of pre-cons overlap with our SQL in the City event. This is the most popular, and largest, SQL Server only event in the world. There is a ton of networking that takes place, and it’s a great time to get to know other people in the community.

    There are a ton of sessions, too many in fact. Buy the DVD of the sessions since you’ll miss more than you attend. You can register today, and if you’re there early, look for me on Tuesday. I won’t be speaking at the Summit this year, but there are lots of other great speakers that you’ll enjoy.

    The Conference Argument

    I’ve got a busy fall. In addition to the events above, I have a few SQL Saturdays to attend and skiing to get in. I won’t be at SQL Live 360, but that’s another event you might consider attending. I’d love to speak there, but I need a break. Perhaps in 2014.

    I love attending these events, and I’d recommend them over a specific training class. Here’s why.

    If you aren’t self-motivated, you’ll waste a lot of time and not get much out of a conference. It’s easy to go to some sessions, or sit by the pool all day. However I’d argue that most of the people who aren’t looking to drive their career won’t get a lot our of week long class either.

    If you are motivated, you can learn the JIT skills from a book, by yourself, or with a relatively inexpensive class like the ones Pluralsight offers. However, at a conference, you’re the person that will network with others, talk about your problems, and get some inspiration or potential solutions from those conversations. You’ll also get new ideas and inspirations from many of the sessions. You’ll recharge better than you do from a class, and most people seem to come back to work more excited about SQL Server than when they left.

    If you’re a person that wants to move forward and are motivated enough to do so, consider attending one of these events this fall.

  • The Podcast is in the Windows Store

    If you’ve got a Windows Phone, or any of the Windows devices that support podcasts, the Voice of the DBA podcast is in the store. I did a quick search and found it, though the image isn’t there yet.

    podcast

    I was visiting a Red Gate customer last week and one of the developers asked why my podcast wasn’t in the Windows store. I hadn’t thought about it, so I did some searching today.

    It turns out the process is that you email a particular person at Microsoft. I did that, not expecting much to happen quickly, but I got a note back in a few hours the podcast was there. Amazing.

  • Better Searching on Google

    One of the keys to being a successful technologist is being able to search for information. Google has a lot of operators, and I ran across this list of terms, thanks to Kevin Kline.

    It’s on the GoogleGuide site and lists and defines the operators. I’d encourage you to play with them and practice using them. I use the “site:” operator often, and it’s helped me shortcut searches and reduce noise.

    I haven’t looked for the terms on other search engines, but I’m sure there are similar (if not the same) operators.

  • Restoring a TDE Database on a New Instance

    You’ve enabled Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) on one of your databases, and the server has failed. How do you get this database working on a new instance? This short post will show you how this works.

    Files Needed

    There are two files you need in order to restore the database.

    1. A full backup of the TDE database
    2. A backup of the server certificate that protects the Database Encryption Key (DEK).

    You might have multiple files for the backup, and potentially other backup files (diff, log), but the process for those will be the same as any other restore once you complete this process.

    If you have multiple full backup files (striped backup), just include them in the restore command as you normally would.

    Prepare the New Instance

    To prepare the new instance for restore, you need to ensure that you have a database master key (DMK) in the master database. You can do this by checking the master_keys DMV.

    SELECT *
  FROM sys.symmetric_keys

     

    If you have a key, that’s fine. If you don’t, you can create one like this:

    CREATE MASTER KEY 

ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = 'sdkj3G3$sh'

    Now you need to restore the certificate from your source instance. You do this with the CREATE CERTIFICATE command, and the FROM FILE option. You’ll typically find the backup from your BACKUP CERTIFICATE command in the DATA folder for SQL Server if you didn’t specify a complete path.

    You do have a backup, right?

    For me, I’ll run the create certificate command:

    CREATE CERTIFICATE TDEPRimer_CertSecurity
 FROM FILE = 'D:\SQLServer\MSSQL11.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Backup\tdeprimer_cert'
  WITH PRIVATE KEY (
               FILE = 'D:\SQLServer\MSSQL11.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Backup\tdeprimer_cert.pvk',
               DECRYPTION BY PASSWORD = 'AStr0ngB@ckUpP@ssw0rd4TDEcERT%')
;
go

     

    This works

    tde_a

    Now I’m ready to restore the TDE database.

    tde_b

    I select my backup file, and everything proceeds as a normal restore. How do I know the certificate worked?

    Because I have a “Ready” at the top of the dialog.

    tde_c

    If I didn’t have the certificate on the instance, I’d get this:

    tde_d

    Double clicking that would bring up the error:

    tde_e

    If the certificate is not on the instance, then the server cannot decrypt the DEK and restore the database.

    Hope this helps, and if you use TDE, make sure you can do this.