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Tim Ford

SQL Server MVP

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Tim Ford

Tim Ford is the Lead Database Administrator for Spectrum Health and has been working with Microsoft SQL Server since 1999. He is also the CEO and Lead Consultant with SQLAgentMan Consulting and blogs at the associated website: theSQLAgentMan.com. Twice-yearly, Tim produces SQL and Professional Development training events on cruise ships during SQL Cruise.

Tim currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS) as the Director for SQLSaturday and is a frequent speaker at those events.

While not focused on technology and the SQL Community, Tim enjoys spending time with his family: wife Amy, and two sons Austen and Trevor. In his free time he can be found noodling around on his guitar, fostering his digital photography skills, reading a book or just dreaming up his next adventure in life.

2010 Awards

2009 Awards

2008 Awards

Auditing and Compliance

Backup

Function to Return Default SQL Server Backup Folder (3/19/2010)
Script to find SQL Server databases without transaction log backups (1/6/2010)
Script to retrieve SQL Server database backup history and no backups (10/9/2008)
Using the FORFILES Command to Delete SQL Server Backups (11/3/2008)

Central Management Servers

Run SQL Commands Against Multiple SQL Servers Without CMS (8/10/2010)

Clustering

Balancing Resources for SQL Server Clustering and Consolidation (8/13/2008)
Cluster Administrator Application for SQL Server DBAs (12/17/2008)
Getting started with SQL Server clustering (7/16/2008)
Identifying Windows Volumes on a Clustered SQL Server Instance with the DMVs (1/5/2009)
Manually Configure SQL Server Resource Group Ownership in Cluster Administrator (12/22/2008)
SQL Server Clustering Active vs Passive (8/4/2008)

Database Administration

Determine Free Space, Consumed Space and Total Space Allocated for SQL Server databases (11/18/2008)
Find SQL Server databases where log file is too large (4/25/2011)
Manage the size of SQL Server Transaction Logs (2/9/2009)
Managing SQL Server Database and Application Metadata (8/19/2008)
SQL Server Third Party Application Requirements Document and Checklist (1/25/2010)
Third Party Application Checklist for SQL Server (8/12/2009)

Database Mail

SQL Server 2005 Database Mail Setup and Configuration Scripts (2/20/2008)

Dates

SQL Server 2008 Date and Time Data Types (10/30/2008)
SQL Server Date function that determines date range based on weekday (6/10/2009)
SQL Server function to convert integer date to datetime format (3/20/2009)

DBA Best Practices

SQL Server 2005 Index Best Practices (10/6/2009)
Using Windows Groups for SQL Server Logins as a Best Practice (9/3/2009)

Disaster Recovery

Rebuilding the SQL Server master database (Part 1 of 3) (6/23/2008)
Rebuilding the SQL Server master database (Part 2 of 3) (6/26/2008)
Rebuilding the SQL Server master database (Part 3 of 3) (7/3/2008)

Dynamic Management Views and Functions

Collect and store historical SQL Server performance counter data with DMVs (12/21/2010)
Collecting SQL Server performance counter data for trending (7/27/2010)
How to Find Keywords in SQL Server Stored Procs and Functions (1/25/2008)
Identify last statement run for a specific SQL Server session (7/22/2009)
Session State Settings for Cached SQL Server Query Plans (9/2/2009)
SQL Server Performance Counter DMV sys.dm_os_performance_counters (6/17/2010)
SQL Server sys.dm_os_wait_stats DMV Queries (2/24/2010)
Useful management information from SQL Server DMV sys.dm_os_sys_info (1/31/2011)

Fragmentation and Index Maintenance

Index Metadata and Statistics Update Date for SQL Server (7/29/2008)

Functions - System

Using the OBJECT_SCHEMA_NAME function to return the SQL Server schema name (6/4/2009)

Functions - User Defined UDF

Finding a string value in a SQL Server table (12/29/2008)
SQL Server function to determine if all characters are capitalized (11/7/2007)
SQL Server UDF to pad a string (4/27/2009)
SQL Server user defined function to convert MSDB integer value to time value (5/5/2009)

Indexing

Retaining historical index usage statistics for SQL Server Part 1 of 3 (5/12/2009)
Retaining historical index usage statistics for SQL Server Part 2 of 3 (6/5/2009)
Retaining historical index usage statistics for SQL Server Part 3 of 3 (7/8/2009)

Integration Services Execute Package Options

Run SSIS using xp_cmdshell in a SQL Server stored procedure (10/18/2010)

JOIN Tables

Handling cross database joins that have different SQL Server collations (3/27/2009)

Linked Servers

How to setup linked servers for SQL Server and Oracle 64 bit client (2/13/2008)

Locking and Blocking

Understanding SQL Server Blocking (4/6/2010)
Understanding SQL Server Locking (3/23/2010)

Maintenance

Execute UPDATE STATISTICS for all SQL Server Databases (10/17/2008)

Microsoft Access Integration

Configure Microsoft Access Linked Tables with a SQL Server Database (4/18/2008)
Microsoft Access and SQL Server Integration (4/4/2008)
Microsoft Access Pass Through Queries to SQL Server (4/22/2008)
Microsoft Access Pass Through Queries to SQL Server in Detail (5/25/2010)
Modifying Microsoft Access Linked Tables from SQL Server (5/2/2008)

Monitoring

Performance Tuning

Analyzing SQL Server Plan Cache Performance Using DMVs (12/31/2010)
Trending Buffer Pool Performance Using DMV sys.dm_os_performance_counters (12/29/2010)

Professional Development Career Planning

Vacation for a SQL Server DBA (8/25/2008)

Professional Development Skills Development

SQL Server DBA Telecommuting Tips (8/22/2008)

Query Plans

How to read SQL Server graphical query execution plans (11/4/2009)
SQL Server Query Execution Plans in SQL Server Management Studio (10/12/2009)

Replication

Getting additional error messaging information for SQL Server replication (2/3/2009)

Reporting Services Configuration

SQL Server Reporting Services Configuration Tool (3/12/2008)

Reporting Services Dynamic Reports

SQL Server Reporting Services Conditional Formatting (9/18/2008)

Reporting Services Installation

Adding Reporting Services to an existing SQL Server installation (2/28/2008)

Scripts

Finding and listing all columns in a SQL Server database with default values (6/4/2008)
List columns and attributes for every table in a SQL Server database (6/26/2009)
Run same command on all SQL Server databases without cursors (1/17/2008)
SQL Server Script to Create Windows Directories (3/21/2008)

Security

Correct the SQL Server Authentication Mode in the Windows Registry (2/25/2008)
Creating a SQL Server proxy account to run xp_cmdshell (10/22/2010)
How to eliminate SQL Server security issue caused by sp_replwritetovarbin (2/23/2009)
Identifying SQL Server logins with overlapping server roles (4/23/2010)
SQL Server 7.0 to 2005 Security Vulnerabilities Could Allow Elevation of Login Privileges (9/19/2008)

SQL Server Agent

Auto notification for failover of a server and restart of SQL Server services (1/12/2009)
Custom job categories to organize your SQL Agent jobs (4/24/2008)
Reassign Job Ownership for All Jobs on All SQL Servers (8/24/2010)
Verbose SQL Server Agent Logging (1/14/2008)

SQL Server Configurations

SQL Server DSN and ODBC Configuration (4/7/2008)

SQL Server Management Studio

Building and customizing SQL Server script templates (3/28/2008)
Determine space used for a table using SQL Server Management Studio (9/26/2008)
Launching a default Project in SQL Server Management Studio (10/20/2008)
Options for scripting SQL Server database objects (5/21/2008)
SQL Server Management Studio customized startup options (10/10/2008)

T-SQL

Differences between SQL Server temporary tables and table variables (8/6/2008)
Using INSERT OUTPUT in a SQL Server Transaction (12/13/2010)

Testing

Find, compare and use the same session settings as another SQL Server user (8/17/2009)

Upgrades and Migrations

Transition from MS Access to SQL Server with the Migration Assistant (4/28/2010)

More SQL Server Solutions