How do you use SQL Server PowerShell provider?

The following post looks at SQL Server 2012 instance on a Windows 8 Professional Computer.

SQL Server PowerShell provider enables you easily and interactively look at all objects much like you look at all the objects in a folder/file system.  You can use the command line to traverse paths in a SQL Server.

The server objects available as folders when you use Windows Power Shell are:
SQL
SQL Policy
SQL Registration
Utility
DAC
Data Collection
SQL Server Integration Services
SQL Server Analysis Services

In order to acces objects on SQL Server you need to run SQLPS.exe which you find in the following directory:
---------------------------------------------
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\PowerShell\Modules>dir
 Volume in drive C is TI10672700E
 Volume Serial Number is 16FB-D230
 Directory of C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\PowerShell\M
odules

 

07/06/2014  06:33 PM    <DIR>          .
07/06/2014  06:33 PM    <DIR>          ..
07/06/2014  06:37 PM    <DIR>          SQLASCMDLETS
07/06/2014  06:40 PM    <DIR>          SQLPS
               0 File(s)              0 bytes
               4 Dir(s)  880,764,026,880 bytes free
----------------------
When you run SQLPS by double-clicking the file you spawn a new scripting shell 

------------
Microsoft SQL Server PowerShell
Version 11.0.2100.60
Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved.
which you can use with SQL Server as shown:
PS SQLSERVER:\>
--------------
In this shell you can access the previously mentioned SQL Objects much like you would acces folders/files using you DOS commands as shown here.
---------------
PS SQLSERVER:\> cd SQL
PS SQLSERVER:\SQL> cd..
PS SQLSERVER:\> cd SQLPolicy
PS SQLSERVER:\SQLPolicy> cd..
PS SQLSERVER:\> cd SQLRegistration
PS SQLSERVER:\SQLRegistration> cd..
PS SQLSERVER:\> cd Utility

How do we access the Server databases?
In order to do this you have to know the SQL Server Instance(s) and then the objects can be accessed as shown here:
-------
Get the instance name:
--------------------------
PS SQLSERVER:\> cd SQL
PS SQLSERVER:\SQL> dir
MachineName
-----------
HODENTEK8
localhost

PS SQLSERVER:\SQL> cd LocalHost
PS SQLSERVER:\SQL\LocalHost> dir
Instance Name
-------------
REGENCYPARK
------------------------------
Let us say we want all the objects on the AdventureWorks 2012 database on this instance.
You can find them as shown here:
--------------
PS SQLSERVER:\SQL\LocalHost\RegencyPark\Databases\AdventureWorks2012>
ApplicationRoles
Assemblies
AsymmetricKeys
Certificates
DatabaseAuditSpecifications
Defaults
ExtendedProperties
ExtendedStoredProcedures
Federations
FileGroups
FullTextCatalogs
FullTextStopLists
LogFiles
PartitionFunctions
PartitionSchemes
PlanGuides
Roles
Rules
Schemas
SearchPropertyLists
Sequences
ServiceBroker
StoredProcedures
SymmetricKeys
Synonyms
Tables
Triggers
UserDefinedAggregates
UserDefinedDataTypes
UserDefinedFunctions
UserDefinedTableTypes
UserDefinedTypes
Users
Views
XmlSchemaCollections

That's all for now.

Mahalo

Accessing PowerShell in SSMS go here:
http://hodentekmsss.blogspot.com/2014/04/starting-power-shell-from-sql-server.html

Lower prices with enhanced SLAs for Azure SQL Databases in September

Another name is price war and the battle is on going on all fronts. There has been news on the
internet regarding Microsoft's pricewar with Amazon and Google vis-a vis its cloud offerings.
http://www.informationweek.com/cloud/infrastructure-
as-a-service/microsoft-battles-google-amazon-in-
cloud-price-war/d/d-id/1141625

Although Cloud business (the thriving one) is only a small part of Microsoft right now it makes sense to make it invincible.

http://www.citeworld.com/article/2456966/business-money/microsofts-cloud-business-is-on-fire.html

Old prices and service tiers here:
http://hodentek.blogspot.com/2014/05/microsoft-azure-sql-database-service.html

Come September the price for Azure SQL Databases will be  slashed.
Reduced pricing and enhanced SLA available in September. Read here:
http://azure.microsoft.com/blog/2014/08/26/new-azure-sql-database-service-tiers-generally-available-in-september-with-reduced-pricing-and-enhanced-sla/

The new pricing is as in the following image from the above site:

Note that a new S0(S-Zero) performance level has been added in the Standard tier meant for lower-cost entry point.

SQLDiag on Windows 8.1 Professional

SQLDiag utility collects diagnostics information from SQL Server(s) including System information. This utility was run against a SQL Server 2012 Developers edition on a Windows 8.1 Professional OS. It is available in all versions starting from SQL Server 2005 to SQL Server 2014.

SQLDIAG collects the following types of information:

•Windows Event Logs (Application, System, and Security) in .CSV files

•System Monitor (aka Perfmon) performance counters in .BLG file/s

•SQL Server Profiler traces in .TRC file/s

•SQL Server Blocking chains in a _BLK.TRC file

•SQL Server error logs, configuration, point-in-time snapshots of several DMVs in
a .OUT file

•System information via the Msinfo32 utility in a .TXT file
You can customize the utility by editing (manually)  the XML configuration file
of the utility, SQLDiag.xml
There is also a GUI tool which you can use to visually edit the xml file at the
codeplex site here.
http://sdct.codeplex.com/

File location on your computer:
If you have installed SQL Server in the present post SQL Server 2012 it should be
installed in the same directory as SQL Server which is usually,
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\Binn
Running it in console:
Open the command CMD preferably in Runas Administrator mode. Change the directory
to the one menitoned above.
------------
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.3.9600]
(c) 2013 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Users\Jayaram>cd %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\Binn
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\Binn>
---------------
Now type SQLDiag /? to get the help on SQLDiag Utility
-------------
Oops! on Windows 8.1 Professional instead of showing the help for this item, it
goes to User Access Control and if you choose to run it, the executbale is run as shown. Probably this is a bug.
Let us take up that problem later. The following console message is received  when the program starts:
2014/08/22 17:27:00.62 SQLDIAG Command line parameter C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\Binn\SQLdiag.exe
2014/08/22 17:27:00.62 SQLDIAG Collector version 
2014/08/22 17:27:00.62 SQLDIAG
IMPORTANT:  Please wait until you see "Collection started" before attempting to reproduce your issue
2014/08/22 17:27:00.63 SQLDIAG Output path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\Binn\SQLDIAG\
2014/08/22 17:27:00.83 SQLDIAG Error opening registry key  Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\Instance Names\SQL\MSSQLServer. Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Error opening Software key . Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Error opening registry key  Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\Instance Names\OLAP\MSSQLServer. Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Error opening Software key . Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Error opening registry key  Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\Instance Names\RS\MSSQLServer. Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Error opening Software key . Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Failed to open Software\Microsoft\MSSQLServer key . Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Failed to open Software\Microsoft\MSSQLServer key . Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Failed to open Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.REGENCYPARK key . Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Collecting from 1 logical machine(s)
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Error opening registry key  Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\Instance Names\SQL\MSSQLServer. Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Error opening Software key . Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Error opening registry key  Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\Instance Names\OLAP\MSSQLServer. Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Error opening Software key . Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Error opening registry key  Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\Instance Names\RS\MSSQLServer. Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Error opening Software key . Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Failed to open Software\Microsoft\MSSQLServer key . Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Failed to open Software\Microsoft\MSSQLServer key . Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.84 SQLDIAG Failed to open Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.REGENCYPARK key . Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.85 <computername>\* Instances registry value not found (you can usually safely ignore this) . Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.85 <computername>\* Instances registry value not found (you can usually safely ignore this) . Function result: 259. Message: No more data is available.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.87 <computername>\* Instances registry value not found (you can usually safely ignore this) . Function result: 259. Message: No more data is available.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.87 <computername>\* Error opening MSSQLSERVER key . Function result: 2. Message: The system cannot find the file specified.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.87 <computername>\* Instances registry value not found (you can usually safely ignore this) . Function result: 259. Message: No more data is available.
2014/08/22 17:27:00.87 <computername>\* SQL Server version: 11
2014/08/22 17:27:00.88 <computername>\* Machine name: <computername> (this machine) 
2014/08/22 17:27:00.88 <computername>\* Target machine is not a cluster
2014/08/22 17:27:00.88 <computername>\* Instance: REGENCYPARK (64-bit)
2014/08/22 17:27:10.85 SQLDIAG Initialization starting...
2014/08/22 17:27:28.76 <computername>\* MsInfo: Get MSINFO32
2014/08/22 17:27:32.58 <computername>\* MsInfo: Get default traces
2014/08/22 17:27:36.72 <computername>\* MsInfo: Get SQLDumper log
2014/08/22 17:27:41.89 SQLDIAG Initialization complete
2014/08/22 17:27:41.89 <computername>\* Collecting diagnostic data
2014/08/22 17:27:42.89 SQLDIAG Collection started.  Press Ctrl+C to stop.
2014/08/23 20:34:00.35 SQLDIAG Ctrl+C pressed.  Shutting down the collector
2014/08/23 20:34:03.16 <computername>\* Shutting down the collector
2014/08/23 20:34:03.20 <computername>\* Getting SQLConfig report(s)
2014/08/23 20:34:30.15 SQLDIAG Ending data collection.  Please wait while the process shuts down and files are compressed (this may take several minutes)
In this case the collection was terminated and it can quite a long time.
The results are written to files found in the SQLDiag folder
C:\Users\Jayaram>%Program Files%\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\Binn\SQLDiag