Tag: SQL Server

Creating a SQL Server 2019 Demo Environment in a Docker Container

About a month ago, I learned something new. I learned how to run SQL Server 2019 in Docker and how to set up my demo environment in a container. Cool stuff! I like whales. Whales are cool.

While learning, I started writing this blog post. Then I got distracted and never finished it. This weekend, I had to set up my demo environment again. It was the perfect opportunity to update the content and finally publish this post.

(Why did I have to set up everything again? Oh, it’s a long story that involves disk cleanup and a Cathrine who likes to delete things to keep her computer tidy. Ok, it’s not really a long story. It was more like “oops, I accidentally deleted my container”.)

Anyway! Back to the actual content.

In this post, I share my approach and code snippets for:

Installing Docker
Getting SQL Server 2019
Running SQL Server 2019 in a Docker Container
Restoring Demo Databases (AdventureWorks and WideWorldImporters)

Installing Docker

I knew nothing about Docker or containers a month ago. But! I’m lucky to have smart friends :) Andrew Pruski (@dbafromthecold) wrote Running SQL Server 2019 CTP in a Docker container as part of his brilliant blog post series on containers.

I decided to start with his walkthrough and do exactly what he did. It worked pretty well for me! See below :)

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SSMS Results Grid Not Showing Ellipses

Earlier today, I ran into an interesting “feature” in the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) Results Grid.

During development, I found what appeared to be duplicate data. Uh-oh! I spent three hours debugging my query, looking into the underlying ETL, and doing all kinds of tests. I absolutely could not figure out what was wrong!

Then it hit me. Maybe my query was fine? Maybe the problem was how the results were displayed in the SSMS Results Grid? I tried expanding the columns. And sure enough. There it was. All my data, perfectly fine.

Facepalm.

After facepalming, I started laughing. One of my Norwegian phrases is “erre mulig!?” It roughly translates into an exasperated, humorous “how on earth is that possible!?” I kept laughing. And of course, I had to tweet about my fail of the day:

https://twitter.com/cathrinew/status/1039859953488617473 Continue reading →

Preparing for and Taking Microsoft Exam 70-768 (Developing SQL Data Models)

After taking a break from exams and certifications for a few years, I decided to resume studying. On May 29th, 2018, I shared my Updated Microsoft Certification Goals. On June 5th, 2018, I achieved my first goal by passing Microsoft Exam 70-767. On July 31st, 2018, I achieved my second goal! I passed Microsoft Exam 70-768: Developing SQL Data Models. By passing this exam, I became a Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA): Business Intelligence Development :)

In this blog post, I share how I prepared for the exam and what my experience was like on the day of the exam.

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Preparing for and Taking Microsoft Exam 70-767 (Implementing a Data Warehouse using SQL)

After taking a break from exams and certifications for a few years, I decided to resume studying. On May 29th, 2018, I shared my Updated Microsoft Certification Goals. A week later, on June 5th, 2018, I achieved my first goal! I passed Microsoft Exam 70-767: Implementing a Data Warehouse using SQL. Woohoo :)

In this blog post, I share how I prepared for the exam and what my experience was like on the day of the exam. While I only shared my updated goals last week, I spent weeks before that focused on studying. More importantly, I have had real experience working hands-on in projects for several years. Without this experience, I don’t think I would have been able to pass this exam – at least not on the first attempt.

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Azure Data Factory v2 with Mike Flasko

One of the sessions I was most looking forward to at Microsoft Ignite 2017 was New capabilities for data integration in the cloud with Mike Flasko. In that session, he talks about Azure Data Factory (ADF) v2 and its new first-class SSIS support.

After the session, I convinced Mike Flasko and Sanjay Krishnamurthi to have a chat with me :) We talked about what’s new in Azure Data Factory v2, including the updated pipeline application model with a new visual design canvas, new Software Development Kits (SDKs) for working with Azure Data Factory, the new Integration Runtime, and the ability to run SSIS packages inside Azure Data Factory v2.

Azure Data Factory v2 with Mike Flasko

Follow Mike Flasko on Twitter @mflasko, and keep an eye out for more news about ADF and SSIS! I may or may not have convinced him to do another interview with me in a couple of months :)

Thank you Mike and Sanjay for sitting down with me on a busy day! If you were unable to attend Microsoft Ignite 2017, you can now watch Mike’s session New capabilities for data integration in the cloud on-demand:

Other interviews from Microsoft Ignite 2017

Data Science with Buck Woody
SQL Server 2017 with Bob Ward
High Performance Analytics with Sunil Agarwal