I was recently involved with the migration of a Native mode SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) database from a non-domain server to a domain-based server. The migration itself was fairly straightforward (as it usually is) thanks to the inherent portability of the Report Server database and required configurations, such as encryption keys and .NET config files. However, after getting everything up and running on the new server, and successfully testing the reports manually, I discovered that the report Subscriptions were failing.

Last month saw the launch of Battlefield Premium, DICE and EA’s answer to Call Of Duty’s ELITE system for their seminal online shooter, Battlefield 3.

Sooner or later, with any SQL Server database of a suitably large scale, you’re going to run into a situation where you start hitting hardware limitations. It may be disc space, it could be IO issues caused by concurrent access of multiple filegroups and databases on the same controller. Either way, you’re likely to hit the point where you make the decision that you need to move some filegroups around to distribute the load across several drives. Alternatively, you may just want to reorganise your DB files into a more logical structure.

This is very straightforward to do normally via backup and restore, or simple detach and attach.  However, when your database is under replication, either as a publisher or subscriber, this simple process becomes a little more difficult.  Thankfully, there’s a very simple solution to this, which I came across the other day while spreading our DB across multiple drives.

Being a huge fan of the Tom Clancy games ever since the original Rainbow Six broke onto PC way back in 1998, I picked up Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for the Xbox 360 at the weekend. True to form for the series, the game’s mix of 3rd-person shooting, high-tech equipment and squad mechanics is as entertaining as ever. However, on the back on numerous complaints about audio issues with the game, I’ve encountered this one which has left me, quite literally, speechless.

I was asked recently how one could use SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) Report Builder construct a report using a SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) cube as it’s data source.  The good news is that is just as simple as connecting to a SQL Server database, there’s really very little difference, at least if you using the GUI route.

The 2012 version of SQL Server has brought with it a number of new features, not least the new, Visual Studio 2010 shell-based Management Studio. However, the changes are more than just aesthetic, as I found out when I came to try and upgrade some SQL Server Integration Studio (SSIS) packages from SQL server 2008 to 2012. Most packages upgraded fine, but there were some issues when I tried to upgrade any packages that used Script Tasks containing references to external DLLs.

I’ve been looking at migrating some SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) packages lately, and as part of the move, am parameterising a lot of settings to improve the ease of future configuration changes.  One of these changes involved a package that reads from an XML source and uses an XML Schema Definition (XSD) file to validate the source file.  However, with the XML source being in the data flow, you’re not allowed to set an expression on this property to assign a value at runtime.  Or at least not directly.  So, if you want to assign the XSD location from a variable or project parameter, just follow these simple steps.

UPDATE: Rather strangely, if not downright prescient, mere days after stumbling across the Skype beta app for WP7, Microsoft and Skype have today released the full version of the Skype app for Windows Phone 7.5.  You can use the same Marketplace link below to download the app, which replaces the beta version in the Marketplace.  If you already have the beta installed, it should notify you of an available update, which will patch over with the full release version.

Somehow I completely missed the boat on this one, but I found out today that an official Skype app has finally been released for Windows Phone.  I’ve been waiting for a WP7 Skype app since I first got my HTC Trophy back in November 2010, so I was surprised to see that the app quietly launched as a beta on 25th February this year.  I guess I must have given up checking!  However, when I searched for the app in the WP Marketplace, there was no sign of it (I’m guessing because it’s only a beta).  It also doesn’t seem to appear in the Marketplace via the Zune desktop client.