• Kimball Group Articles:  A great starting place for an introduction into Kimball style warehouse construction.  I’d also recommend signing up to their design tips email.

• Develop Reporting Services reports using Analysis Services data; a SQL Server 2008 technical case study
• Report Scripting:  Ever wanted to experiment with RS.EXE to programmatically deploy reports to SSRS?  This utility will make life much easier!

Note that there is some overlap with the Database Engine area.

Installation

Setting up a SQL Server for the first time, or looking for best practices?

• Setup Tips: From super DBA Brent Ozar

Logging

• Understanding Logging and Recovery in SQL Server: Technet article by Paul Randal
• Transaction Logs: Questions and Answers article.

Blocking

• Blocking, Blockers, and Other B Words: by db consultant Adam Machanic

Backups

• Backup Resources: When ever I need to know more about backups, I just head over to Kimberly Tripp’s backup resource list.

Storage

• Physical DB Design:  Written for SQL 2005, provides a guide for physical storage design and gives recommendations and trade-offs for physical hardware design and file architecture.

TempDB

Optimising TempDB can make or break your installation:

• Working With TempDB: This white paper describes how SQL Server 2005 uses tempdb.
• File Structure:  Explaining the myth behind one file per cpu
• Microsoft Article: Although this does suggest one file per CPU! (See above)

SQL Server DBA Blogs

Here is a list of DBA Blogs.  Do you think yours is good enough for inclusion?  Get in touch.

• Brent Ozar

SSAS Performance and Tuning

There are two key white papers any SSAS developer should familiarise themselves with:

• Analysis Services Operations Guide 2008R2:  Have you been asked to look after a server running SSAS?  This is a great resource for anyone who has been asked to setup an optimal Analysis Services environment.
• Analysis Services 2008 R2 Performance Guide: This guide is aimed at developers looking to tweak their cubes for maximum performance.

Other guides:

• Best Practices: SQL Bits presentation from Marco Russo.

SSAS Community Sites

• SSAS-Info: Comprehensive site dedicated to analysis services, plenty of tools and articles to sift through.
• Analysis Services MSDN Forum:  Come chat with other SSAS developers, ask and answer queries.

MDX

Love it or hate it, BI developers will have to get the MDX basics straight in their head sooner or later.  Here are a few resources to help:

• Introduction to MDX: Taking your first steps?  Here’s a good start.
• Stairway to MDX: Another good beginners guide from SQL Server Central
• MDX Studio:  A tool to help you build MDX queries against your cube, written by Mosha.

Note that there will inevitably be some overlap with the DBA section.

Very Large Databases

I spent several years working on a “big data” project.  We were loading up to 20gb data a day and running terrabyte sized databases, our largest table had almost 2 billion rows!  At this level of data volume you really need to pay attention to the details.

• SQLServerpedia VLDB Resources:  A good list of resources that covers most of the good stuff.
• SSWUG: A bullet list of quick tips.

SSIS Performance Resources

• Performance and Tuning White Paper:  White paper written by Elizabeth Vitt, put together for SSIS 2005 but still useful.
• Jamie Thomson SQL Bits:  Video of SQL Bits Session on data flow performance

Custom SSIS Components

Whilst there are some obvious advantage of using closed source custom components I would always be slightly weary of using them myself.   It is unlikely that they will continue to work when subsequent versions of SQL Server are released and you don’t want your upgrade to be dependent on the release of an updated version.

But if that doesn’t put you off:

• PragmaticWorks: Five free components and a load of commercial ones
• Konesans: A range of components from the SQLBI.com boys
• CozyRoc: A whole load of commercial components
• Red Gate: To date they have one component in Beta, the data cleanser
• Codeplex:  Community list of tasks and components

Writing Your Own Custom Components

If you don’t want to pay out a load of cash and want to know that you have the source code available to upgrade or alter a component, you can always create your own:

• Microsoft Documentation:  A good source of information, but not the best set of instructions to get started.  A useful reference.
• More from Microsoft:Building, Deploying, and Debugging Custom Objects
• Dave Ballantyne at SQL Bits 8: I found this more useful when starting out
• CodeProject: Another Example
• Professional SQL Server 2008 Integration Services: Prefer a good old fashioned book, this will be the one to get.
• SQL Server Central: Another good case study with code examples and a few more links at the end.
• Darren Green and SQL Bits: Slide Deck and example code

SQL Server Integration Services Blogs

Here are some prominent bloggers who post on SSIS:

• SSIS Junkie: Jamie Thomson
• SQLIS:  The community branch of Konesans Ltd, our SQL Server and Business Intelligence consultancy

Know any other good SSIS related blogs? Want to get yours added? Let me know!

SSIS Forums

• MSDN Forums

Free SQL Server Tools

• BIDS Helper: A Visual Studio.Net add-in with features that extend and enhance the functionality of the SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008 BI Development Studio (BIDS).  If you don’t have this, go install now!
• SSMS Tools: The best free SQL Server Management Studio Add-In on the Web.  Even if they do say so themselves!  My favourite features are the grid result to script, and SQL Snippets.
• Plan Explorer:  Builds upon the graphical plan view in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to make query plan analysis more efficient.
• SQL Tab Magic: SQL Tab Magic helps you use SSMS better when you have a large number of tabs open.  Currently free but time limited.
• SQL Search: SQL Search is an add-in for SQL Server Management Studio that lets you quickly search for SQL across your databases.
• SQL Server FineBuild: For easy deployment of SQL Server

Commercial Tools

• Red Gate: These guys provide a range of SQL Server tools for developers and administrators.
• Quest

Microsoft Management Tools

• Management Studio Keyboard Shortcuts: You aren’t a real developer if you don’t know any of these!
• Process Explorer:
• Assessment and Planning toolkit:

SQL Server Scripts

• SQL Server Maintenance Solution
• Index Defrag Script
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