Software
- MS SQL Server Health & History Tool is a little old with the last release date of 2005.
- SQLIOsim is out & replaces SQLIOStress. Learn how to use it here and here. Info on the output here.
- SQLIO is the old MS tool, this is great to compare different server IO capabilities. Good examples here,
- MS Baseline Security Analyzer is good for checking patches deployed.
- MS SQL Server 2005 best practices analyzer BPA is good to sign off configs against vendor spec.
- Download all sorts of bits with the feature pack including sqlcmd and the native client.
- All SQL2005 Builds since SP 2 are here
- Command prompt setup doco here
- Great bug “SQL 2005 Setup takes too long“
Best Practices
- Always have a build guide, here’s a reasonable one.
- Use Kerberos for trusted auth to SQL Server as covered by MS here and SQL Protocols. Also handy is MS notes on how to troubleshoot SSPI context issues. SPN registration is here.
- MS SQL Server 2005 Security Best Practices whitepaper.
- Best Practices at technet
- MS offical doco on monitoring blocking on SQL2000 & 2005. The 2005 blocking trace option is also quite handy.
- SQL disk layout by Denny of (ex) MySpace.
- I/O Basics whitepaper is pretty good reading.
- SQL Storage Top 10 Best Practices.
Code
- Script to force a transaction log shrink by filling up the virtual log file.
- Error Handling how to by an MVP
- Article on how a team loaded 1TB of data in 30 min with SSIS