Arshad Ali

Changes are inevitable and like many other things in life your application will change over time. The question is how to upgrade an already deployed Data Tier Application to a newer version; what are the different methods available for upgrade and what considerations should you take? Introduction SQL Server 2008 R2 makes database development, deployment […]

SQL Server 2008 R2 Data-Tier Applications make database development, deployment and management much easier. When you create and build a Data Tier Application, it creates a single, self-contained unit of deployment called a DAC package. Arshad Ali shows you how to deploy the created DAC package and discuss the different methods of deployment. Introduction Data-Tier […]

SQL Server 2008 R2 with Visual Studio 2010 has introduced a new feature called Data-Tier Applications that allows the database developer to author the database, build it and hand the DAC package to the database administrator for deployment. Read on to learn more… Introduction The collaboration between developer and database administrator has always been a […]

Master Data Services (MDS) is a master data management platform that allows you to create a centralized hub for your master data. This single and centralized authoritative master data source provides consistent master data to all the business applications aligned to it. This article demonstrates how model versioning and security works in MDS. Introduction Master […]

Learn how to import data to Master Data Services (MDS) using Master Data Manager Portal UI to enter data manually or how to automate the import process by staging data into three different MDS staging tables Introduction Master Data Services (MDS) is a master data management platform, which allows you to create a centralized hub […]

Master Data Services (MDS) is a master data management platform that allows you to create a centralized hub for your master data. Arshad Ali explores the different components of MDS followed by a step-by-step of how to create master data services’ objects. Introduction Master Data Services (MDS) is a master data management platform that allows […]

The Master Data Management (MDM) platform is built on top of the SQL Server 2008 R2 database and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF). This article offers a step-by-step guide to installing and configuring this new capability, called Master Data Services (MDS). Introduction SQL Server 2008 R2 introduced an extensible Master Data Management (MDM) platform, which is […]

Redundancy, caused by integrating multiple definitions of master data across different lines of business into a data warehouse can cause reports to depict inaccurate results. Master Data Management, introduced in SQL Server 2008 R2, overcomes this problem, allowing you to create, organize and manage master data centrally. Introduction Real world example We have to set […]

Proactive caching helps DBAs to better control the cube data automatic refresh frequency, offering near real-time data for reports. This article covers the settings for HOLAP and ROLAP, and configuring proactive caching. Introduction Mostly data warehousing and Business Intelligence (BI) applications work on historical data, which are normally refreshed on a daily, weekly or monthly […]

Arshad Ali explores Proactive Caching, available in SQL Server Analysis Services 2005 and later versions. Proactive Caching helps DBAs to better control the cube data automatic refresh frequency. Proactive Caching offers near real time data for reports, while at same time providing a query performance similar to MOLAP storage mode. Proactive Caching SQL Server Analysis […]

This article discusses Database Instant File Initialization, which instructs the OS to allocate the required disk space immediately before actually zero-ing out the content from the allocated space. This means the content of the allocated disk area remains there until SQL overwrites it, improving the performance and reducing the downtime. Read on to learn more… […]

SQL Server Service Broker (SSBS), introduced with SQL Server 2005 and enhanced in SQL Server 2008, allows you to write queuing/message based applications within the database itself. This article discusses creating an application in which Initiator and Target both are in the same database. Introduction In my previous couple of articles, I introduced you SQL […]