We've just set up SQL Database Mail on a client's Data Warehouse which is built on Microsoft SQL 2005, but kept getting the message "NOTE: Failed to notify 'operator' via email." in the results after a job had run and then realised that it's because the Alert System In the SQL Server Agent was not enabled.

If you have set up your SQL Database Mail Operators and SMTP details correctly, but keep getting a message like this: "NOTE: Failed to notify 'operator' via email.", you may not have enabled the Alert System In the SQL Server Agent.

Here's how to enable the Mail System:

Right click "SQL Server Agent" in the Object Explorer and click "Properties"

Go to Alert System, and check the "Enable mail profile" box and select the correct Mail system and Mail profile.

Leopard is looking for a Microsoft SQL data warehousing developer who has a good understanding of relational data to join our team. You will need a good knowledge of the Microsoft data platforms eg SQL 2005 and 2008. You will be working closely with our customers and will be expected to command yourself with the business integrity and honesty that Leopard prides itself in providing to it's customers.

You will be based at our central office in Thatcham, but may be permitted to work from home depending on your productivity.

Role & Responsibilities:

• Part of the Leopard data team
• You will work primarily with SQL, executing queries in the maintenance and building of a current enterprise Datawarehouse
• You will help manage a corporate Datawarehouse (both production and development/UAT)
• Customer facing
• You will be meeting with our local corporate customers and working very closely with them
• You will be communicating with contact people in several countries

Requirements:

You will need a good working knowledge of the following:

• T-SQL Syntax
• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and 2008
• VBA Syntax for development in the Microsoft Office Suite
• Use of the Microsoft Office Suite
• Relational data
• Easy-going demeanor when dealing with foreign customers
• Ability to be self motivated

Rates:
Rates will be discussed once your CV has been reviewed.

About Leopard:
Leopard is a small, expanding company based in Thatcham, Berkshire. We specialize in business solutions and services such as data warehousing and software development.

To apply for this position, email your up to date CV to hr@iLeopard.co.

Recently We've been working a lot with a product called "Thinkmap" which provides incredible data visualisation using a collection of entities which they call "Nodes" and "Edges"..

Nice Jargon but what does it mean?

Well in short it means with a little configuration you can point thinkmap at a collection of XML, flatfiles or even a full blown SQL Database at it'll create a mind map (or thinkmap!) diagram of all your data.

We really like it!

It's great for presenting products, services and more in an "easy on the eye", logical way..

We're MS SQL Buffs So heres how we Moved from XML to SQL.

I'm assuming you have the following components:

Eclipse (A Great Java IDE),

The Thinkmap Developer Package (Demo Server, Eclipse Plugins Etc),

An Instance MS SQL 2005 or 2008.

An already working thinkmap project (Reading from XML or a Flat File)

I'm also assuming your working with windows, im not sure about the directories on linux and osx but im assuming its fairly simmilar..

Step 1: Download the driver

The good people over at Thinkmap suggest you dont use the standard microsoft one but instead use an open source implementation..

You can download it here

And see the documentation here

Step 2: Put it in your app..

It goes in: yourapp/webapp/WEB-INF/lib/

Step 3: Configure your Server.Tas File

Thinkmap provide an example for you to tweak for your own devices which can be found in C://Program Files/Thinkmap.../Examples/server_sql/

Make yourself a copy (on the desktop or somewhere) and change where it says:

    <datasource>
                <jndi dataSourceName="java:/comp/env/jdbc/moviedb" />                 
    </datasource>

to:

    <datasource>
              <jdbc driver="net.sourceforge.jtds.jdbc.Driver"
              url="jdbc:jtds:sqlserver://yourserver:yourport/yourdatabase;Trusted_Connection=True;"
              user="yourusername"
              password="yourpassword" />             
     </datasource>   

Now go tweak the nodes and edges in server.tas to your requirements/tables/columns etc

And Replace the Server file in your project with the new one..

Enjoy!

This blog explains how to create an install set for SQL 2008 Tools with or without BIDS (Business Intelligence Development Studio).

The full SQL 2008 install disk is about 3.5gb, when only a small portion of that is required to install the SQL 2008 Tools. Running the script below will reduce the install size to about 500mb - a much more manageable size.

We found this script online, and have modified slightly to include BIDS.

We are not suggesting the infringement of any copyrights. Please ensure that you have purchased the correct licenses.

Instructions:

Open Notepad and copy the following code into the document. Edit the source and destination in the code according to your preference.

When you have changed the relevant areas, hit File>Save As and save the file as a .bat and name it appropriately. We named ours “CreateSQLToolsWithBIDS.bat”.

Then run....

The scripts below require Robocopy. If you do not have Robocopy, you can find it online. Feel free to contact us if you need assistance with this.

This is the original script which was found online, click here to visit the site.

///Begin Script///

set source=D:\

set dest=C:\SQL08Tools

REM Copy Root ONLY

robocopy %source% %dest%

REM Copy Root of x86 ONLY

robocopy %source%\x86 %dest%\x86 /XF fixsqlregistrykey_ia64.exe fixsqlregistrykey_x64.exe

robocopy %source%\x86\1033 %dest%\x86\1033

robocopy %source%\x86\help %dest%\x86\help /S

REM Copy redists

robocopy %source%\x86\redist\DotNetFrameworks %dest%\x86\redist\DotNetFrameworks /S /XF *x64* *ia64* /XD x64

robocopy %source%\x86\redist\Powershell %dest%\x86\redist\Powershell /S /XD ia64 x64

robocopy %source%\x86\redist\Watson %dest%\x86\redist\Watson /S

robocopy "%source%\x86\redist\Windows Installer" "%dest%\x86\redist\Windows Installer" /S /XD ia64 x64

REM Setup Folder and exclude folders and files that aren't needed

robocopy %source%\x86\Setup %dest%\x86\Setup /S /XD sql_engine_core_inst_loc_msi sql_engine_core_inst_msi sql_engine_core_shared_loc_msi sql_engine_core_shared_msi x64 /XF rsfx.msi rsSharePoint.msi sql_as.msi sql_bids.msi sql_fulltext.msi sql_is.msi sql_rs.msi sqlbrowser.msi SQLServer2008_BOL.msi Synchronization.msi SyncServicesADO.msi sql_as_loc.msi sql_is_loc.msi sql_rs_loc.msi sqlserver2005_bc.msi sqlwriter.msi

///End Script///

This is the script which includes BIDS in the install.

///Begin Script///

set source=D:\

set dest=C:\SQL08Tools

REM Copy Root ONLY

robocopy %source% %dest%

REM Copy Root of x86 ONLY

robocopy %source%\x86 %dest%\x86 /XF fixsqlregistrykey_ia64.exe fixsqlregistrykey_x64.exe

robocopy %source%\x86\1033 %dest%\x86\1033

robocopy %source%\x86\help %dest%\x86\help /S

REM Copy redists

robocopy %source%\x86\redist\DotNetFrameworks %dest%\x86\redist\DotNetFrameworks /S /XF *x64* *ia64* /XD x64

robocopy %source%\x86\redist\Powershell %dest%\x86\redist\Powershell /S /XD ia64 x64

robocopy %source%\x86\redist\Watson %dest%\x86\redist\Watson /S

robocopy "%source%\x86\redist\Windows Installer" "%dest%\x86\redist\Windows Installer" /S /XD ia64 x64

REM Setup Folder and exclude folders and files that aren't needed

robocopy %source%\x86\Setup %dest%\x86\Setup /S /XD sql_engine_core_inst_loc_msi sql_engine_core_inst_msi sql_engine_core_shared_loc_msi sql_engine_core_shared_msi x64 /XF rsfx.msi rsSharePoint.msi sql_as.msi sql_bids.msi sql_fulltext.msi sql_is.msi sql_rs.msi sqlbrowser.msi SQLServer2008_BOL.msi Synchronization.msi SyncServicesADO.msi sql_as_loc.msi sql_is_loc.msi sql_rs_loc.msi sqlserver2005_bc.msi sqlwriter.msi

///End Script///