Category: SQL Server

by Fran Lens 2012-05-28

What I learned in the last year? Resources and websites that help you get started with SQL Server

 Within days, June 20th, will be one year since I joined Avanade Spain, so I think that is a good moment to stop and think over all learned in the last 366 days. 

I can safely say that this was the year that I’ve grown more as SQL Server professional, When I started at company, didn’t know practicaly how a cluster works; the replication seemed a world apart; I wasn’t familiar with SQL Scripting; and my English level was much worse (you can see how badly I write, but before was even worse). 

I got my new knowledges in a big part thanks to my father, my co-workers, Google, MSDN forums, and blogs that saved my life a lot of times, I going to enumerate some of this: 

In the resources section I will highlight two that help me a lot: 

• Open DBDiff, a Database schema comparer between 2005/2008, it’s free software and works like a charm, a good option if you haven’t access to pay tools like SQL Server Data Comparison Tool de Visual Studio 2010 or SQL Data Compare de Red Gate among other applications. 
• dbForge SQL Complete, a SQL Server addon that replace intellisense, with the particularity that works in all versions from SQL Server 2000 to 2012 and have a lot of funcionalities. Exist a pay version with 30-days trial, and a free version with less funcionalities, also you can get a free full version or with a discount if you have a requisites, more info at http://www.devart.com/highfive/highfive-sql-complete.html 

In the webs section could say a lot, but I prefer the followings: 

• SQL Server Books Online, essential, every time I have a doubt I searched there, and the 90% of the times I solved it. 
• Spanish MSDN SQL Server Forums, most of the doubts will be solved quickly and a great place to learn. 
• English MSDN SQL Server Forums, like Spanish forums but with more variety, I visit regulary the Replication forum by the proyect where I am, and always learn something. 
• SQL Server Central, the community for excellence of any DBA, you can find news, tutorials, scripts, help forums… 
• Microsoft SQL Server 2012, 2008R2, 2008, 2005, 2000 and 7.0 Builds, every time I want to revise a SQL version or I need to know if a new update has been release, it’s the first site where I go, updated diary. 

In people and blogs section, I suppose that will be a lot of professionals that have merits to be in this list, but at this moment I will only say people I know: 

• Pinal Dave (@pinaldave), his blog SQL Authority updated diary, is a source of knowledge, there is no day where you don’t learn something, highly recommended. 
• Brent Ozar (@brento), in his web Brent Ozar PLF, many experts published diary, it helps you to see SQL Server with a different point of view, and his stored procedure sp_blitz is awesome. 
• Aaron Bertrand (@aaronbertrand), his blog Aaron Bertrand is other of the essentials, you will find a lot of news and help info. 
• Kimberly L. Tripp (@KimberlyLTripp), in his blog Kimberly, all the articles are worth, very detailed and good explained. 
• Paul Ibison, his web Replication Answers have numerous scripts and articles about replication, like the Replications forums, the web helped me many times. 
• Alberto López Grande (@qwalgrande), blog Diario de SQL Server, he participate diary in Spanish MSDN SQL Server forums, I learn a lot reading his replys, and I think that has merits to be in this list. 

Finally, I wanna do a special mention to my father and mentor Francisco Racionero (@fracionero), thanks to him I’m in the SQL Server world, helps me among diary, and if I have a doubt, I ask him first rather than search in Google :). His company Alesón Consultores opened new offices in Puerto de Sagunto(Valencia) a months ago, one of the best SQL Server professionals in Spain, with over 15 years experience in the product and a safe bet if you want to take a project forward. 

I hope that this lines help many others and in one year repeat the post with new discoveries.