SQL – Interview Questions and Answers

Pinalkumar Dave has published a neat series of FAQ on SQL Server.

The series of blogs provides a simple way to go back over the building blocks of SQL Server. It's way to remind yourself of what you already know.
A Question and Answer discussion can also be a way to go over old topics in a more interesting manner. Especially if you have been working in the industry, or taking lots of classes on the topic, everything you read can sound like a repeat of what you already know. Going over a topic in a new format can make the material seem fresh and interesting. And an interested mind will be more engaged and remember more in the end.

The list of interview Questions and Answers is helpfull as a refresher for SQL developers/administrators or as a way to learn about SQL (as a beginner or to learn new things).

here's an overview of the complete Questions and Answers Series blogs

BizTalk Server 2009 CU package 3 available

The cumulative update package 3 for BizTalk Server 2009 is available.

included hotfixes:

• BizTalk Server EDI support
• The EDI batching orchestration does not release batches on time in BizTalk Server 2006 R2 and in BizTalk Server 2009
• AS2 messages remain active after they are processed when the "Track Message Bodies - Request message after port processing" option is enabled on a send port in a BizTalk Server 2009 environment
• BizTalk Server Administration Tools & Configuration Tools
• "The group BizTalk Isolated Host Users doesn't exist" error message is logged when you configure the Exception Web Services by using the ESB Configuration Tool in a BizTalk Server 2009 environment
• All the tracking options under "Track Events" are selected unexpectedly after a BizTalk orchestration is created or updated in BizTalk Server 2009
• Applications stop responding or crash when System Center Operations Manager monitors BizTalk Server 2009 applications
• BizTalk Server Message Box and Message Agent, Pipelines & Tracking
• Performance decreases when a server that is running BizTalk Server 2009 processes a large batch of messages after you customize the settings of the "Large Message Threshold" option and of the "Large Message Fragment size" option
• Error message when you receive a MIME or SMIME document in BizTalk Server: "Item has already been added"
• BizTalk Server XLANG engine
• White space is removed if a message is processed by a mapping operation that is included in a Construct Message shape in BizTalk Server
• BizTalk Server Setup
• Cumulative update package 2 for BizTalk Server 2009 fails if a BizTalk group uses a database that uses a case-sensitive collation

Prerequisites
To apply this update, you must have BizTalk Server 2009 installed. For detailed information about how to install this update, see the Readme.txt file that is included in the update package.

Notes

• You have to stop the following services before you apply this update:
• ENTSSO
• IISADMIN
• WINMGMT
• BTSNTSVC
• To install this update in a BizTalk group that includes multiple BizTalk servers, install this server update on each server individually instead of concurrently.

Source: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2557149

BizTalk Webcast

The biztalk videos for BDD (Behaviour Driven Development) and acceptance testing are now available on cloudcast.

LINK: http://www.cloudcasts.net/Default.aspx?category=BizTalk

Improving BizTalk Server throughput and identifying bottlenecks

An interesting Blog on how BizTalk performance can be examined.

Source: Improving BizTalk Server throughput and identifying bottlenecks « Integration Experts – Dipesh Avlani

BizTalk Training Resources

Where to start learning Biztalk?
First of all here's an interesting post that explains the way Biztalk works by Steef-Jan Wiggers.

A more detailed picture of the BizTalk architecture:

Or if you're interested in some more detailed Biztalk architecture posters:
http://www.biztalk247.com/posters.aspx

Here's another great reference, here you can find a list of tutorial video's, books, virtual labs, and more: http://sandroaspbiztalkblog.wordpress.com/2011/07/13/biztalk-training-resources-virtual-labs-tutorials-virtual-machine-and-more/

The future of BizTalk

Last couple of days the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference took place in Los Angeles. It appeared that there was some discussion on the future for Biztalk Server, but I couldn't figure out exactly what it was.

Today I found some Blogs which summarizes the presentation given by Microsoft’s Tony Meleg. It seems that BizTalk as product/brand name may go away after few years but the integration concepts are going to remain. As I understood, no new features would be released anymore, only some maintenance releases.

Presentation video: AP03 - The Future of Middleware and the BizTalk Roadmap
Presentation slides: Download Session Presentation

Summarizing blogs:

• Is BizTalk Server Going Away At Some Point? Yes. Dead? Nope. « Richard Seroter's Architecture Musings
• The Future of Middleware and the BizTalk Roadmap - Recap
• Microsoft BizTalk's future is cloudy (no pun intended)

Released: Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1 and SQL Server Denali CTP3

This week is packed with big announcements: Microsoft released SQL Server Code Name “Denali” Community Technology Preview 3 (CTP3) with breakthrough innovations that will help our customers to shape their Business Intelligence (BI) future; and Microsoft also released SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 with important improvements of our existing technologies.

Also PowerPivot for Microsoft Excel 2010 was updated as a separate download.

Source: Released: Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 - Analysis Services and PowerPivot Team Blog - Site Home - MSDN Blogs