SQL Server Articles

Should you have problems with the SQL Server full-text search, review this troubleshooting checklist to help find potential solutions. 1. Check the hardware requirementsFor SQL Server 7.0, you should have: Alpha AXP, Intel or compatible platform Pentium 166 MHz or higher 64MB RAM or more (recommended) 180MB hard disk space For SQL Server 2000, you [...]

Overview In our previous article, Execution Log Reporting: Preparation as a Data Source, we began with a discussion about a valuable source of information for performance and auditing analysis, the Report Server Execution Log. We noted that the Execution Log captures data specific to individual reports, including when a given report was run, identification of [...]

What We Will Need to Complete the Series Tutorials To get the most out of the Optimizing MSSQL Server Reporting Services series, we need to have installed Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services, together with Microsoft Visual Studio.NET (required to access Report Designer for report creation). Reporting Services ships with MSSQL Server 2000, and many [...]

Trace flags are used to temporarily enable or disable specific SQL Server database functions, allowing you to change default database behavior or to observe hidden database behavior, and will remain in effect until they are either manually turned off or SQL Server is restarted. Keep in mind that most trace flags are undocumented and Microsoft [...]

Overview In this article, we will return to our intermittent examination of various MDX optimization techniques which we have intermingled with other MSAS optimization topics within this series. The function upon which we will focus will be CROSSJOIN(), whose mission it is to combine two sets of dimension members into one. We will discuss how [...]

Overview In this article, we will explore another tool that MSAS offers for the enhancement of cube processing, the Optimize Schema option. This option can assist us in significantly reducing a cube’s processing time. Optimize Schema attempts to identify unnecessary joins between our fact and dimension tables, and then to remove them. In many cases, [...]

Overview Because a significant part of my practice consists of being called upon to tune MSAS implementations performed by others, I come across the less-than-optimal use of calculated members quite often. As most of us know, calculated members are dimensions or measures (depending upon the designated parent dimension) that are constructed, using a formula, from [...]

Overview In this article, we will continue the examination of distinct counts we began in our previous article, Considering DISTINCT COUNT. Having discussed why distinct counts are useful, and often required, within the design of robust analysis and reporting applications, we described some of the challenges that are inherent in distinct counts. We then undertook [...]

Overview In this article, we will introduce the concept of distinct counts, discussing why they are useful (and often required) within the design of any robust analysis effort. Throughout this article, we will describe some of the challenges that are inherent in distinct counts, and then we will undertake practice exercises to illustrate solutions to [...]

Overview In this article, we will explore the use of a calculated member property to optimize query performance. Almost anyone who has worked with MSAS for any length of time has become aware of the NON EMPTY keyword in MDX. Empty cells are the reason that most of us are thankful for the NON EMPTY [...]