UTF8 - No support in SQL Server

For Unicode support in SQL Server. Just choose NCHAR / NVARCHAR data types.

SQL implements Unicode through UCS-2 rather than UTF8.

Wikipedia : Comparison of unicode encodings

http://journeymanjournal.blogspot.com/2005/02/no-utf-8-support-in-sql-server.html

SQL Humour...

A SQL query goes into a bar, walks up to two tables and says, "Can I join you".

Good grief....

http://sql-server-performance.com/Community/blogs/editorsblog/archive/2008/11/26/happy-thanksgiving.aspx

SPAM is on the increase...

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2231392/spam-levels-expected-rise

I’ve definitely observed an increase...

2008 Group Policy control if not on a domain controller

Group Policy is available by default on servers with the active directory role (typically domain controllers).
What if you want to control it from another machine however?

The Group Policy Management Console can be added to your windows 2008 server from Server Manager where it is a 'feature' (everything is either a 'role' or a 'feature' nowadays).

To install >
1) Launch Server Manger
2) In the Features pane, click 'Add Features'
3) Select 'Group Policy Management' followed by 'Install'
4) Run gpmc.msc to launch Group Policy Management Console or navigate to it in Server Manager.

http://www.vista123.net/content/installing-gpmc-windows-server-2008-and-windows-vista-service-pack-1

Activating / Deactivating Windows Firewall via Group Policy

How to deactivate Windows Firewall via Windows 2008 Group Policy >

(Needed to do this temporarily for Windows activation from VAMT server)


Path : Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Network > Network Connections > Windows Firewall > Domain Profile

Property : Windows Firewall : Protect all network connections

Windows 2008 Activation with VAMT

Had 'fun' with VAMT today (Volume Activation Management Tool) activating Windows 2008 instances.

The bottom line is that the VAMT tool (like the activation process itself) DOESNT support proxy authentication.

It also doesn't get through Windows firewall (turned this temporarily off in Group Policy) to activate them.

If you find licences slipping away before you can activate them, a temporary fix is to 'rearm' them. Execute ' slmgr.vbs /rearm ' to do this.


Proxy authentication error was as follows >

Unexpected Error
----------------
An unexpected error has occurred
The following information was found for this error:
Code: 0x8004FE33
Description: Unable to find a detailed error description.
The facility code is: ITF (0x04)
Facility error: 0xFE33 (65075L)

Sources :
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserversetup/thread/48ba05f1-601f-4095-9c66-e4b7024c903b/

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserversetup/thread/783ac1da-4411-4e7d-9da1-e6ab87be80c2/

SAC (Surface Area Configuration) gone in SQL 2008

The Surface Area Configuration tool introduced in SQL 2005 has already been deprecated and doesnt make it into SQL 2008.

http://sqlblog.com/blogs/denis_gobo/archive/2007/11/20/3441.aspx