SQL Server Diagnostics intro

The newly released SQL Server Diagnostics (Preview) can be found here.
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Below are the install screenshots
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Once installed it is accessible via SSMS
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Dumps are usually located in your …MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Log folder.
Here I also selected to send an email just to see what it’ll look like.
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The email received was
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The other Diagnostics options were
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Looks a bit of a cover all at the moment
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Takes you to the below site (which no longer exists)
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Default Trace Deprecated

It’ll be sad to see the default trace go. It’s help me out numerous times during onsite consults when monitoring has not been in place. It really is one of the good features introduced in SQL Server 2005.
 
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The deprecated features list is a bit of an unknown as there is no fixed version/date set by Microsoft, so when it’ll finally goes is anyone’s guess. Hopefully by that stage extended events will be more palatable.

SSMS Include Client Statistics

Troubleshooting performance issues can be challenging and more so when 1 user has issues and another doesn’t for the same application and they both sit in the same room.
 
This is where SSMS Include Client Statistics may come in handy.
 
Enable the option and run the query causing issues on both users machines.
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Possibly you the results will help point you in the correct direction i.e. network path issues etc..
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Remember to unselect the option when finished as it adds extra overhead when used.

Windows Server Semi-annual Channel

Yes as detailed here
 
“There will be two primary release channels available to Windows Server customers, the Long-term Servicing Channel, and the new Semi-annual Channel.”
 
When installing SQL Server the key thing to remember is:
 
“Windows Server products in the Semi-annual Channel will have new releases available twice a year, in spring and fall. Each release in this channel will be supported for 18 months from the initial release.”
 
18 months = 1.5 years so not very long and given that SQL Server releases are typically every 2 years, I’m not sure how viable this the new Semi-annual Channel will be for hosting SQL Server. Time will tell.
 
sac-release-timing
(source Microsoft)
 
What is really interesting is that, to me, it appears that Microsoft may have gone from a market leader to a follower, I could be wrong:

  • Cloud
  • Linux
  • Open Source
  • Docker
  • Git
  • Channels
  • Core licences
  • …

 
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.NET 4.7 WU, WSUS and MU

Here at AKAWN we’ve been busy working on our first application which we hope to release later this year.
 
Having purely been focused on SQL Server architecture, administration and consulting, it has been a real eye opener into the effort required to produce an application.
 
So to all those developers out there a big thanks for your efforts, you guys rock.
 
This post got a bit side tracked :) it was meant to advise that .NET Framework 4.7 is available on Windows Update, WSUS, and MU Catalog.

Plagiarism

Wow, you never really grasp the meaning of plagiarism until it happens to you.
 
Recently a couple of AKAWN blog articles have appeared on a popular SQL Server website. The person has tweaked the wording and images but it is clearly a copy.
 
Copying other people’s work and passing it off as your own is NOT cool.
 
If this person, who I assume follows this blog, does it again, I won’t hesitate to out them. You’d think a MVP would know better.
 
As an absolute minimum, a reference should be made to the source of your content when using another person’s work.

datediff and datepart abbreviations

When working with dates/times it can sometimes get a bit confusing when abbreviation options are introduced e.g. abbreviations may pad 0’s,use 24hr (HH) vs 12hr (hh) etc.
 
This post is simply a confirmation that abbreviations in datediff and datepart do return the same value.

DECLARE   @starts datetime = '2017-06-12 19:00:05'
		, @ends datetime = '2017-06-12 19:00:07';

SELECT    DATEDIFF(ss,@starts,@ends) AS diff_ss
		, DATEDIFF(s,@starts,@ends) AS diff_s
		, DATEPART(ss,@starts) AS part_ss	
		, DATEPART(s,@starts) AS part_s;

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