SQL Server, PASS, and other data mishaps
Allen Kinsel
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Homepage: http://allenkinsel.com
Posts by Allen Kinsel
Changing the owner of nearly anything in SQL Server
Jan 17th
The other day we were going through some old scripts and had a huge discussion about changing object ownership in SQL. Forever the only answers were to recreate the objects or use the stored procedures: sp_changeobjectowner or sp_changedbowner. Alternatively at times there were those of us who used some other undisclosed hack of system tables but, I’ve never done anything like that…
Since SQL 2005 Alter Authorization has been the right way to change ownership of nearly anything
This is the most common use of alter authorization but there are many more.
sp_changeobjectowner would look like this
sp_changeobjectowner 'Products.Description','AllenK'
While the updated syntax would look like this
ALTER AUTHORIZATION ON OBJECT::[Products].[Description] TO [AllenK]
What really brought this post about was because I was working with certificates recently and at the time I needed to change who the owner and I just exported/imported & recreated them. It was easy and what I knew would work. After looking through the syntax for alter authorization I realized I could & probably should have done it this way. I guess old habits die hard.
ALTER AUTHORIZATION ON CERTIFICATE::[MYCERTIFICATE] TO [CERTOWNER]
Some out there might question why I’m rehashing syntax changes that happened nearly 5 years ago, The reality is that even in 2011 a lot of the installations of SQL Server I look at are still 2005 and many of the people I run into still use old ways of doing things, this is for you (and me)!
ALTER AUTHORIZATION ON OBJECT::[Products].[Description] TO [AllenK]
This year I resolve to…
Jan 11th
If you hadn’t guessed, today’s post is part of this months TSQL Tuesday. This is an interesting topic for me since as a matter of principle I usually refuse to make resolutions and the like around the start of the new year. I like to set goals, and work towards those goals but, I think “resolving” to do something has this nagging way of never turning out how I’d like. It probably has something to do with the fact that I track goals but, typically only think about resolutions at a point in time.
So, this year Ill resolve to document a few of my goals for the year.
This year I only have a few professional goals. Actually, quite a few less than usual. I decided to trim down my professional goals this year to only a couple since they are quite large and very open ended.
- Id like to make PASS as responsive as possible to the needs of our SQL Community. This is simply to say that I plan to do what I feel I was elected to do. Of all the directors I am as well positioned as anyone to make real change that can be seen to the average user of SQL Server. I will need lots of help to make this happen, and I have no problem asking for that help (watch this space SOON for details)
- I want to learn to be a better “manager/leader” It takes a different set of skills to lead people than it does to be a DBA and do technical work. I love the technical work, actually more than the management stuff but, my current roles are requiring more leadership and less technical. I need to do better with the details of this and learn to inspire greatness in my teammates.
That’s it, 2 whole goals for the year, not much by count but, by effort I’d say these might be the some of the loftiest goals I’ve set in a long time…
Something old is something new
Jan 4th
For the new year I have decided to try something different with a series of small regular posts.
Dealing with our large team of developers and our DBA team as well, I often run across interesting discussions about small things that are easily overlooked. Often times these discussions end in a exclamation of “I knew that!!” Of course what really happend is the memory of that specific feature or tidbit has simply been paged out of our memory. I intend to take these (typicaly) small tidbits of SQL goodness and publish them to hopefully jog your memory as well.
It never hurts to have your memory paged back in occasionally and I hope this helps
Im a Winner!
Dec 20th
And no, I dont mean in my mothers eyes, thats a given.
I won the Ipad/SQL Monitor Contest that Redgate was sponsoring over on Grant Fritcheys Blog
Im thrilled to have won!! Ive been eyeing Ipads for quite some time but, the novelty & cost has kept me at arms length.
Im always in the market for DBA tools that can make my teams (or my) job easier, thats where redgate’s Sql Monitor comes in, shortly I expect to be running it through the paces. We already use most of the other redgate tools and love them so I have high expectations for SQLMonitor!
Christmas definetly came early for me this year, Its like Grant, Steve, Brent and most importantly Redgate were my very own elves!
Thanks again to Regdate for their outstanding support of our SQL Community.
PS: I expect to have some aweome pics of remote monitoring SQL Servers shortly!
We are the people our parents warned us about — T-SQL Tuesday
Dec 14th
Its TSQL Tuesday time again, and this month the topic is being hosted by Steve Jones ( Blog | @Twitter ) The topic at hand is related to interacting with business users or more Specifically, “What issues have you had in interacting with the business to get your job done”
We are the people, they couldnt figure out!
We are the people our parents warned us about — Jimmy Buffett
A Different Twist
What If you were the business user who had the business “issues”? I’ve been the business user that is the subject of every technogeek stereotype. You know, the one who doesnt really know what they want until they see it. Yeah, I was/am that guy. As a matter of fact, Ive been that guy recently. You see, I have two jobs that put me in that sort of position relatively often. In my day job I manage a team of Database Professionals (Excellent ones I’d add! 
) In my “night” job, I volunteer for PASS. In both of these roles I often see the need to have something built and anytime something gets built by IT there can be issues.
Change
In order to succeed at completing your job/project/task its often easiest to go ahead and plan on change. Change is in my estimation at the root of 95% of all issues when dealing with business needs. Things change often and no matter how many times you think things are static on both sides of the project equation (requirements vs development) they will surely change again. Ive found that no matter how thourough I have been in coming up with a decent set of requirements before asking for work to be done, in the end something always changes. Often I will have no control over those changes but, many times something comes up that changes things and this always causes the “issues” between both sides of a project. Change is actually a good thing, If every project Ive been involved with were implimented exactly as first envisioned (no changes) I suspect things would be considerably different, and not in a good way!!
Communicaton
After sitting at both sides of the desk, you begin to realize the easiest way to eliminate issues between the people who have needs and wants and those IT Guru’s trying to make them a reality is a very open line of communication and trust. Once you succeed at opening that communication line, all tasks become easier. With open communication change becomes less of an issue and dare I say it: a bit more acceptable to everyone. This is the first line of defense in solving issues before they even become issues!
We’re not crazy
Despite rumors to the contrary the people who need work done AKA “business users” arent totally crazy and intentionally trying to make everyones lives difficult with constant changes. Often times we are just as frustrated that our needs (or requirements) are changing as the IT Gurus are for having to accomidate those changes. Once the communication lines are open between all parties, things get considerably easier and the impact of those changing needs can be efficiently weighed against the timelines, costs, etc of the task/project
