http://mail.simple-talk.com/this is the simpletalk site rss feed02 December 2008Database AdministrationThomas LaRockThomas LaRock shows just how easy it is for a DBAs to monitor any aspect of the databases in their charge by using Operations Manager, just as long as they are prepared to spit on their hands and do some coding. As he says, 'The possibilities are endless'.http://mail.simple-talk.com/sql/database-administration/monitor-your-database-backups-using-operations-manager/27 November 2008Geek of the WeekRichard MorrisReal geeks read Verity Stob. Verity writes her painfully funny invective from a powerful advantage, she is a geek herself, and her humour comes from the pain of every-day life as a programmer. Verity Stob, with her unique, and hilarious, contribution to making our lives bearable, had to be our Geek of the Week. We sent Richard Morris to interview her, of course.http://mail.simple-talk.com/opinion/geek-of-the-week/verity-stob-geek-of-the-week/29 November 2008Brad M McGeheebradmcgeheeIn this article, Brad examines the various ingredients that will help you establish a successful career as a DBA, and then contribute to your long-term career success.http://mail.simple-talk.com/community/blogs/brad_mcgehee/70703.aspx24 November 2008Exchange ArticlesBrien PoseyBrien Posey ponders an 'off the cuff' remark that Exchange 2007 runs so well with a default configuration that you don’t even have to worry about optimizing Exchange any more. He decides that there is actually plenty that can be done to help Exchange to perform even betterhttp://mail.simple-talk.com/exchange/exchange-articles/optimizing-exchange-server-2007/24 November 2008Exchange ArticlesBen LyeThe use of PowerShell with Exchange Server 2007 can do a great deal to ease the task of managing mailbox quotas. You can, for example, use scripts to customize quota messages, retrieve mailbox sizes, and set the quotas. Ben shows you how, in the second installment of his Top Tips for SysAdmins!http://mail.simple-talk.com/exchange/exchange-articles/managing-exchange-2007-mailbox-quotas-with-windows-powershell/26 November 2008Jason CreaseJason CreaseOne of the interesting new features in C# 2.0 was nullable valuetypes. Using these, you can set valuetypes to a value, or null. Their usage is entirely straightforward for primitives like int, double, etc. But when using structs, an interesting problem is created that lets light in on the ‘magic’ of nullable valuetypes. http://mail.simple-talk.com/community/blogs/jcrease/70653.aspx20 November 2008Exchange ArticlesNathan WintersWith the increasing acceptance of the use of Virtualization as a means of providing server infrastructure, this technology is being applied to production Exchange servers. This is a  solution that is not just limited to the small shop, Nathan Winters discusses the pros, cons and challenges that lay ahead in providing a flexible and highly available email systemhttp://mail.simple-talk.com/exchange/exchange-articles/virtualizing-exchange-points-for-discussion/25 November 2008Tony DavisTony DavisIn which Tony becomes fascinated by the sessions he attended at the recent PASS conference called "Much Ado: A Panel discussion about Nothing". After becoming amazed by the passion and energy that a bunch of database guys could put into a debate about "don't know" (null), and its many nuances, he daydreams about the potential for a pressure group: the Battle Against Lawless Database Design (or project BALDY) http://mail.simple-talk.com/community/blogs/tony_davis/70602.aspx25 November 2008Learn SQL ServerRobert SheldonGiven the fundamental importance of indexes in databases, it always comes as a surprise how often the proper design of indexes is neglected. It often turns out that the programmer understands detail, but not the broad picture of what indexes do. Bob Sheldon comes to the rescue with a simple guide that serves either to remind or educate us all!http://mail.simple-talk.com/sql/learn-sql-server/sql-server-index-basics/18 November 2008T-SQL ProgrammingJoe CelkoYou'd have thought that a unique constraint was an easy concept - Not a bit of it; it can cause a lot of subtle problems in database designs. Joe Celko goes over the ground of unique keys, primary Keys, foreign keys and constraints.http://mail.simple-talk.com/sql/t-sql-programming/unique-experiences!/