Month: August 2010

Swiss File Knife is a free multi function command line tool that belongs onto every usb stick. Download SFK from sourceforge. This package contains binaries, source and buildscripts for Windows and Linux. You may also download just the windows executable sfk.exe or the linux binary for Ubuntu or DSL. No installation, no registry entries, no DLL’s – one exe handles all.

Application helps foil a burglary from more than 1,000 miles away.

CBS – 9-Day Long Traffic Jam in China
A combination of construction and broken-down vehicles has caused an almost-unimaginable traffic jam in Northern China, which has lasted for well over a week. Katie Couric reports.

It’s A Dad’s Life – Watch more Funny Videos

Earlier today I wrote a post about Microsoft Support sucking ASS.  Well, I just wanted to put in a plug for the community that is Experts Exchange.

I live on the web, and I don’t think a day goes by that Experts Exchange isn’t in the top 10 (if not #1) results of searches for almost anything technical.  For years I tried to view responses on Google cached pages, etc., or at least get tidbits of info from their site.  But I used to work for a company who was too cheap to pay for a membership there, so a couple years ago I joined Experts Exchange as a contributor.  I’d like to think I joined to give back to the community, which is partly true, especially since I’ve been a leech for so many years. But the truth is I joined so I could answer a few questions to earn some points so I could access the site and post some questions of my own.  I used to have more time to answer questions, but for the last year or so I have been so busy at work I just can’t do that.

So, while troubleshooting a major problem with SQL server over the past few days I pulled out the company Am Ex and dropped $99 for a one year membership.  And, of course, I’ve found information there which has been helpful in my quest to recover from a major SQL issue.

Then today while working on this problem and not being able to find info I needed to view the progress of a SQL DB restore I actually went to Experts Exchange and searched there using the same terms I had used with Google: sql restore status.  Wouldn’t you know it, the first result was someone answering the same question with a detailed T-SQL command to do what I needed!

So, thanks Experts Exchange, all contributors there, and a special thanks to udayakumarlm!

Last Thursday (4 days ago) I had a SQL 2005 server go belly-up.  Since our DBA quit unexpectedly recently and I’m only a lowly network admin/engineer with a bit of SQL experience, and since we were faced with a critical issue threatening our business and the Internet as a whole; I dropped (well my company did) $249 to get the guru’s at Microsoft to help me.  Although I opened the case at DEFCON 1 (the boys and girls in Redmond, India call it Severity 8) I was told I “should” receive a call back within two hours.

Strike one: MS telling me they would have to call me back.

The last few days I’ve been trying to recover from a pretty big SQL server failure.  After running into problems with Microsoft’s support I have had to turn to the web for help here.  After all I’m a network guy & only dabble in SQL from time-to-time.  I’m posting this to mainly have as a reference for myself but if anyone finds it useful that’s great too.  Also note, this is not from me but from others on the ‘net.

Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio T-SQL commands to restore full and differential backups:

RESTORE DATABASE myDatabase FROM DISK = 'd:backupsmyDatabase.BAK' WITH NORECOVERY
GO

RESTORE DATABASE myDatabase FROM DISK = 'd:backupsmyDatabase_Diff.BAK' WITH RECOVERY
GO

I was having trouble finding out how to view the progress of the restore.  I was using Google to search for sql restore status but not finding anything useful.  Since I had just paid for a year on Experts Exchange I went there and searched with the same terms, and wouldn’t you know it, the first result was someone answering the same question with a detailed T-SQL command to do what I needed:

SELECT command,
s.text,
start_time,
percent_complete,
CAST(((DATEDIFF(s,start_time,GetDate()))/3600) as varchar) + ' hour(s), '
+ CAST((DATEDIFF(s,start_time,GetDate())%3600)/60 as varchar) + 'min, '
+ CAST((DATEDIFF(s,start_time,GetDate())%60) as varchar) + ' sec' as running_time,
CAST((estimated_completion_time/3600000) as varchar) + ' hour(s), '
+ CAST((estimated_completion_time %3600000)/60000 as varchar) + 'min, '
+ CAST((estimated_completion_time %60000)/1000 as varchar) + ' sec' as est_time_to_go,
dateadd(second,estimated_completion_time/1000, getdate()) as est_completion_time
FROM sys.dm_exec_requests r
CROSS APPLY sys.dm_exec_sql_text(r.sql_handle) s
WHERE r.command in ('RESTORE DATABASE', 'BACKUP DATABASE', 'RESTORE LOG', 'BACKUP LOG')

A controversial look at big government spending and Obamanomics.

From Travis Pastrana’s double back flip on a motorcycle, to his jumping out of an airplane without a parachute, to the longest jump ever (31km), these are some amazing jumps.