Installing Windows Home Server 2011 on HP MediaSmart EX470 or EX475

about 9 months ago Published in Database by Nick Kewney - Comments (17)

This article provides steps to assist you with the installation of Windows Home Server 2011 on an HP MediaSmart EX470 or EX475. Please note that the minimum RAM requirement of this OS is 2GB.

There are several useful guides out there explaining how to install Windows Home Server 2011 on an HP MediaSmart using a flash drive; including Sean Daniel's in-depth post here. However, if you have a desktop PC handy, this is an alternative method which lets you to prepare the drive in another system and avoid the USB approach altogether. Since the MediaSmart doesn't have a display, I found this method preferable.

What you'll need:

  • A desktop system with a SATA drive connector
  • Windows Home Server 2011 installation CD

How to do it:

  • Remove the hard disk from your MediaSmart and connect it to your desktop PC's SATA connector. Make sure the drive is greater than 160GB in capacity.
  • Insert your Windows Home Server 2011 DVD and boot the PC
  • Use the appropriate key to enter boot device selection and select the CD/DVD drive
  • Once the installer has loaded, select "New Install" and proceed with the default options.
  • Agree to the EULA and start the installation.
  • Switch off this PC during the first reboot - Very important.
  • Remove this drive from your desktop PC and place it into the MediaSmart server in the bottom bay.
  • Boot the server and wait between 5 and 15 minutes
  • Check your "Network" view on your local PC and the MediaSmart should appear as "SERVER"
  • If you're using Windows 7, right click SERVER and select "Go to administration website", alternatively, navigate your browser to http://server/connect
  • Follow the rest of the installation instructions until your server is ready to use.

Additional notes:

Make sure your disable the SMI USB Disk in your computer management > diagnostics > devices or else you'll be harassed with "low disk space" warnings.

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Find Inefficient T-SQL Stored Procedures

about 2 years ago Published in Database by Nick Kewney - Comments (15)

The following is a stored procedure you can use when you want to quickly identify procedures in your SQL Server database which are taking up excessive CPU time.

The script returns 3 recordsets:

  • The number of active connections by database name, with login name and hostname
  • All stored procedures with execution count and total/average CPU times
  • All stored procedures with average and total elapsed time
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[procProcessTimes]

AS

SELECT DB_NAME(dbid) as DBName, COUNT(dbid) as NumberOfConnections, loginame as LoginName , Hostname
FROM    sys.sysprocesses 
WHERE     dbid > 0 
GROUP BY     dbid, loginame, Hostname

SELECT DB_NAME(st.dbid) DBName
      ,OBJECT_SCHEMA_NAME(st.objectid,dbid) SchemaName
      ,OBJECT_NAME(st.objectid,dbid) StoredProcedure
      ,max(cp.usecounts) Execution_count
      ,sum(qs.total_worker_time) total_cpu_time
      ,sum(qs.total_worker_time) / (max(cp.usecounts) * 1.0)  avg_cpu_time 
 FROM sys.dm_exec_cached_plans cp join sys.dm_exec_query_stats qs on cp.plan_handle = qs.plan_handle
      CROSS APPLY sys.dm_exec_sql_text(cp.plan_handle) st
 where DB_NAME(st.dbid) is not null and cp.objtype = 'proc'
 group by DB_NAME(st.dbid),OBJECT_SCHEMA_NAME(objectid,st.dbid), OBJECT_NAME(objectid,st.dbid) 
 order by sum(qs.total_worker_time) desc

SELECT DB_NAME(st.dbid) DBName
      ,OBJECT_SCHEMA_NAME(objectid,st.dbid) SchemaName
      ,OBJECT_NAME(objectid,st.dbid) StoredProcedure
      ,max(cp.usecounts) execution_count
      ,sum(qs.total_elapsed_time) total_elapsed_time
      ,sum(qs.total_elapsed_time) / max(cp.usecounts) avg_elapsed_time
 FROM sys.dm_exec_query_stats qs CROSS APPLY sys.dm_exec_sql_text(qs.plan_handle) st
   join sys.dm_exec_cached_plans cp on qs.plan_handle = cp.plan_handle
  where DB_NAME(st.dbid) is not null and cp.objtype = 'proc'
 group by DB_NAME(st.dbid),OBJECT_SCHEMA_NAME(objectid,st.dbid), OBJECT_NAME(objectid,st.dbid) 
 order by sum(qs.total_elapsed_time) desc

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Migrating a SQL Server Database to Oracle 11g

about 4 years ago Published in Database by Nick Kewney - Comments (3)

After attending a session with an Oracle consultant this week, I thought I'd share with you some tips for migrating an SQL server database to the Oracle platform.

Firstly, let's get one thing clear. I love SQL Server. I use it for 99% of projects I do. However, for a particular project I'm working on just now, it makes sense to migrate to Oracle for two reasons; rapid scalability and redunancy. Migration is simply put the conversion of an existing database into a new architecture by preserving data and functionality of the old architecture. A typical migration consists of the following steps:

  • Analysis
  • Migration
  • Testing
  • Deployment

SQLDeveloper is a wizard-driven java tool which will attempt to convert the following database elements for you:

  • Tables and Data
  • Primary Keys
  • Check Constraints
  • Foreign Keys
  • Indexes
  • Views
  • Groups / Users
  • Databases
  • Stored Procedures
  • Triggers
  • Grants
  • Rules
  • Defaults
  • User Defined Types

SQLDeveloper performs the following tasks to help you migrate your database to Oracle and is designed to execute tasks in the following order (I have outlined the exact steps at the bottom of this post).

  • Capture the source database structure into Source Model (online/offline)
  • Convert to Oracle Model
  • Create a representation of the structure of the destination database
  • Migrate the source database
  • Create the schema online or offline
  • Transfer the data online or offline

The steps below assume you have followed the steps to complete an OFA-complinant installation of Oracle 11g database on your server. I'll cover this process in another post soon.

  1. Connect to SQLPlus using the following command: > sqlplus / as sysdba
  2. Create a new user called "sqlmig" with a password of "sqlmig" as follows > create user sqlmig identified by sqlmig default tablespace users temprary tablespace temp
  3. Give permissions required to the "sqlmig" user: > grant resource, create view, create session, create users, dba to sqlmig;
  4. Launch SQLDeveloper 1.5
  5. Create a new connection called "sqlmig" to the Oracle 11g database as sqlmig user
  6. Configure the JDBC Driver for SQL server > Tools -> Preferences -> Database -> Third Party JDBC Drivers > Map to jtds-1.2.2.jar > Copy ntlmauth.dll from the jtds directory to e:\jdeveloper\sqldeveloper\jdk\jre\bin
  7. Add a new connection to the SQL Server Database to your database > User: Windows Authentication and select your database
  8. Right click the SQL connection and select 'Capture Microsoft SQL Server'
  9. Right click the captured model and select 'Convert to Oracle Model'
  10. Right click on the converted model and select 'Generate'
  11. Run the script that is produced
  12. Create a new connection to your new 'dbo_xxx' database
  13. Choose Migration -> Migrate data Watch it happen :-)

Here are the slides from the day:

 

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