Since yesterday, and my post about Google Chrome, Google has updated its terms and conditions and removed the clauses.

Google has just released a beta of its Google Chrome web browser. Make sure you read the terms and conditions. Have a look at the privacy clauses...

I'm currently reading "Enterprise Architecture as Strategy" by Jeanne W. Ross, et al., published by Harvard Business School Press. I recommend that you obtain a copy and read it if you are interested or involved in enterprise architecture or business IT strategy.

Recently, I began having problems with Virtual Server 2005 R2 on my Windows XP computer. I was not aware of anything having changed, except suddenly my VPCs couldn't find a network adapter. Facing the possibility of a complete laptop rebuild, I was scouring the net for a solution...

Here's another product suggestion I've logged with Microsoft along the same lines as the previous one. This one is to allow you to dynamically specify the list of columns you want to unpivot. This might be from a stored procedure parameter or a subquery, either way you can't do it easily at the moment. Register your support here: https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=332512

I've logged a suggestion with Microsoft for support for the inclusion of NULLs when you use the UNPIVOT operator. Add your support if you think this would be useful: https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=332325 Read more if you want to see why this feature is useful...

Auditing the actual changes made to a table can be quite complex, but is often required. In SQL Server 2008, you can use the new feature Change Data Capture, but in 2005 you have fewer options. Here's an approach using common table expressions, table variables and a nice, big and hopefully fast query!

I have configured a number of different Linux distributions on Virtual Server 2005, but SUSE Linux 10.3 was a non-starter...

Have you ever wondered how to view object permissions using a query? Read more...

Do you have problems searching for text in files using Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008? This problem has been affecting us in our development environment, but how can you fix it?

Do you have lots of tables that reference each other using ID fields? Are they of different types, such as nvarchar(10) and int? Do you sometimes find that it can be hard to remember how many characters should be in the type? And what about when you decide that you need a bigger type, such as nvarchar(30)? How can you ensure that your database design remains consistent?

I'm in the process of reviewing a large number of SQL stored procedures, and occasionally I find that a table join isn't properly expressed. This can result in hard to find bugs, but how can you make your SQL code simpler? Isn't using a stored procedure best-practice anyway?

I've just found this by chance while in the process of reviewing around 100 stored procedures to check for performance efficiency. It doesn't help with badly written queries, but if the query is reasonable then it can help you find those elusive missing indices. Thought I'd have to find them myself, but thankfully help is at hand...

You may know that it is best practice to create FOREIGN KEY constraints on related tables in a database. Why is this?

Read more here...

Following on from my previous post, here's a quick way to find out which data tables are using the most disk space...

I'm in the process of reviewing a database for performance analysis. One of the most important tasks to perform is reviewing of statistics. Because this database is currently live, I cannot get the locks to use the sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats built-in function. I have an Oracle background and didn't know how to get the row count quickly. Here's my solution...

Sometimes you have to manually refresh folders in Windows XP to see changes that have taken place on network servers.

Read more here...

Sometimes, old code doesn't seem to work with the new Data Execution Prevention feature in Microsoft Windows. It's easy to turn it off for non-system applications and services, but how do you do it for system components, and why would you? Read more here...

The time service is a critical part of any Windows Active Directory infrastructure. Why? Because it is part of how Active Directory replicates correctly, because it supports the implementation of Kerberos and because all your networked computers will be synchronised using it, even if you don't configure it. Quite often, a seemingly unrelated error message will be caused by time service configuration errors. Read more here...

What is a malicious trigger? What can it do? How can you protect yourself and your database server? Read more here...

If you are interested in service-oriented architecture, including analysis and design, then have a look at this book: Service-Oriented Architecture Concepts, Technology and Design Thomas Erl, Prentice Hall, 2005. Full details here...