RunAs Radio #106 is Up!
Enjoy! Click here to listen to it.
RunAs Radio Session Taped – Will Be Up April 22nd
I taped my session with Richard and Greg for RunAs Radio yesterday. We spent most of the hour talking about clustering with Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008, with a bit of other stuff (virtualization and speaking at conferences) thrown in for good measure. They’re working hard on getting it ready, and I’m told it’ll be the next show posted which is next Wednesday, April 22, 2009. I’ll blog again when it’s posted, but I wanted to give everyone the heads up. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did doing it yesterday.
Get Access to My New Failover Clustering Book Before It’s Published (And The Final Version When It’s Done)!
So I’ve been a bit heads down in writing land trying to finish the primary content for my new book Pro SQL Server 2008 Failover Clustering. My original goal was to have it done for TechEd and in the book store there, but alas, that just isn’t going to happen. Right now I’m finishing the edit of Chapter 6, so as of today, the first six chapters are getting close to completion. I should see final copy edited versions soon. As far as content, I’m finishing up Chapter 8 (Administration) which will be done in the next few days, and have one left (Chapter 9 which deals with virtualization and failover clustering).
The slight delay in publication has worked in my favor as I’ve been able to work in content around Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2008 R2.
Now, having said that, I’m a bit bummed that I couldn’t make TechEd. However, you guys have a great opportunity I just found out about. Over at the website for my publisher, Apress, they have a program called the Alpha Program. The Alpha Program is where as soon as chapters have been first edited, they are put up in Adobe PDF format for you to download and read. These are NOT the final versions, but you do not have to wait for the content. I will warn you: with some chapters I can definitively say that they have changed and been rearranged; others have not been touched much. Some, due to page count, have lost some screen shots (but really, doesn’t affect anything as some were redundant), so if you want those versions of the chapters, this is your chance to get them.
The bonus is that not only do you get alpha/preview versions of the chapters, but when the final book is done, you get that as an eBook. I think it is a really good deal for $27.99 (which is less than the print book which lists at $39.99). To order the Alpha book, click here.
As of today, Chapters 1 – 5 are up there, and I’m told 6 (which is the chapter which covers the actual clustering of SQL Server 2008) will be posted shortly.
Various Schedule Updates, Happenings, and a Thanks
I’m doing a webcast with Unisys for SQL Server Magazine on April 14th entitled “SQL Server Consolidation: To Virtualize, or Not To Virtualize … That Is The Question” which will be at 12 noon EDT. Click here for more information and to register. It’s free!
I’ll be taping a session with my friends over at RunAs Radio (click here for the one I did previously) on April 16th. It’s always a good time with lots of lively discussion. I am not sure when it will be posted, but stay tuned.
I got my session slot for my TechEd session (DAT322 Tips and Tricks for Successful Database Mirroring Deployments with Microsoft SQL Server). It’s on Friday, May 15th from 1 – 2:15PM. Not only do I get the last day of the conference, I get it right after lunch! I’ll do my best to keep you entertained. I’m planning on having plenty of demos and I promise to minimize death by PowerPoint.
The time hasn’t been worked out for the clustering panel at TechEd, but I’ll post when it’s set. It should be a good one.
I also want to thank everyone who attended the three sessions I did on March 26. The questions were great, and it seems a lot of people found it useful. I hope to see you all back again on April 30th for the second series of three sessions.
SQL Server 2008 SP1 & Slipstreamed Installations
As you may or may not know, with SQL Server 2008 you have the ability to patch installations before Setup. However, as of SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 (currently in CTP release), you can fully slipstream SP1 with the RTM installation media. This is good news for anyone configuring SQL Server.
Bob Ward over at the CSS SQL Server Engineers blog has written up a post on how to do it. Instead of regurgitating it, I’m just going to link it for you. Enjoy!
I tried it in the testing for my upcoming book Pro SQL Server 2008 Failover Clustering, and it works like a champ. Speaking of the book, the writing and editing should be done sometime in April for hopefully a June publication date. Unfortunately, it won’t be ready in time for TechEd in May, but such is life.