SQL Saturday Dallas Top Ten(ish)

So for those of you who attended SQL Saturday Dallas this past weekend, here’s my Top Ten(ish) list from the event: Getting lost in the construction zone on Spring Valley on the way A thousand Quest splat balls Competing with SQL Saturday Portland and Indy Tech Fest on the same day – but knowing that ours was the biggest, because…


It’s Done – SQLSat35

This is a strange feeling.  No frantic deadlines.  No daily conference calls with the team.  No hurried trips to the printers, no sessions to juggle around, no all-day Saturday work days coming up.  My kids recognize me again.  I know what my house looks like in daylight. More importantly, I get to resurrect my neglected blog. 🙂 SQL Saturday Dallas…


Report Parameter order in SSRS

Is the order of parameters important in SQL Server Reporting Services reports?  If you’ve got nested parameters (parameters that derive their value from one or more other parameters), it is very important! In this post, I will show that report parameter order in SSRS matters a lot when parameters are dependent on each other. Report Parameter order in SSRS Using…


Book Review – SQL Server Integration Services: Problem – Design – Solution

I usually don’t do book reviews (at least publicly, anyway), but when I find a piece of work that I really get a lot out of, I don’t mind sharing my experience. Such was the case with a book I finished recently. SQL Server 2008 Integration Services: Problem – Design – Solution is a concise guide to becoming a better…


An Un-CATCHable Error?

I’ve been using the scripting tools in SSIS for some time, but I came across something today that I can’t quite explain.  I normally don’t posts unresolved problems on my blog, but I’m trying out a strategy suggested by my friend Lee Everest by sharing unfinished work in the hopes that my research and troubleshooting can help someone else. So…


Alpha Split in SSIS, Redux

So I’ve discovered another benefit of being a technical blogger.  Not only do you get some kudos when you write something that helps someone else, but if you offer up a less-than-optimal solution, you’ll get some suggestions on how it can be done better.  I’ve had my share of the former, but earlier this week I experienced the latter. Last…


User Group Leaders: Who Are Your Members?

At the MVP Summit last week, I was talking with fellow Dallas-area tweep Sean McCown about our local SQL Server user group membership.  I think our group is unique because of its sheer size; we typically have between 70 and 90 people at our monthly meetings, with a mailing list that goes out to between 600 and 800 people.  So…


Dude, Your Fly Is Open

Way back during my days as a retail clerk, I had a customer who had a, um, clothing malfunction.  The store was very busy one afternoon, and as he approached me to ask a question, it was readily apparent that his barn door was left open.  As discreetly as I could, I leaned in and whispered to him that he…


The PASS Acquisition of SQL Saturday

A couple of weeks ago, it was announced that the SQL Saturday franchise was voluntarily transferred to PASS.  This change of ownership could be a good thing for SQL Saturday, but I do have some questions and concerns. Let me say for starters that the SQL Saturday franchise is near and dear to me, since it was one of the…


A New Season (A Networking Success Story)

I’d like to share a networking success story.  Last year, I blogged about my experience at the PASS Summit of 2005, where I was essentially a wallflower and didn’t really do any networking.  Since then, I’ve realized its importance and have embraced professional networking as a key component in a successful career. Ever since then I have carried through on…