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Author: Melanie koorevaar

PaaS taking over the world! Are dba’s a dying breed?

PaaS vs IaaS

 

It's easter weekend, or as the dutch say 'PaaS weekend'. So, it might be a good idea to talk a bit about PaaS. What is it and what does this mean for you as a Database administrator? Are Dba's a dying breed. Will they just shift over to more complex or broader tasks or are they here to stay. It all depends on the company and the software they are running.

 

 

 

What is #Iaas? in short, it's a VM. Your database is running in a data center. As a Dba you have the same job requirements as when running a database on-premise. Update, backup, patches, tuning, security and account control.

But #PaaS is a different story, it runs the database as a service, so there is no need for a dba. At least that's what they tell you. But does PaaS solve all your performance and tuning needs, is that faulty query when moved to PaaS suddely solved? Nope. Machine learning is doing a great job so far, but it isn't the magical quick fix, yet.

In all honesty most companies don't care about tuning a database, not all applications have complex queries and tasks running on their SQL server, most are fine running an express edition. They don't even bother having a Dba. The database is taken care of by a system engineer, if being looked at, at all.

Where does this put you as a Dba? Don't sob, we still need you! It's a big relief that the market, which is still flooded with old school high maintenance MS SQL driven apps. How nice if these could be taken care of with PaaS. The only good thing coming out of these high maintenance, splintered databases, is the data itself. Do you really want to spend your time updating, patching and granting rights to users and saying no to SA account requests? No, you don't!

But second, in the real world, companies don't evolve as fast as the IT world itself. Most applications, lots outdated or not are not being replaced overnight and not all the vendors are quite ready for PaaS environments with their applications. So you just have to decide on which side you want to be, fast IT or slow IT. There is still a big playground available for both for the coming years.


Polybase configuration on SQL Server 2017 Part II

Image: Microsoft

Nowadays your precious data can be stored everywhere, not just on several servers with different SQL versions, your data probably is wide spread in the cloud. It’s also a good idea to store data in the cloud with stretch database to release your local discs from excessive data and still be able to query it, but also use it in your SSIS and BI environment and keep an acceptable ETL. With Microsoft’s polybase you can access, import and export any data structured, semi, or non structured on the Hadoop platform and azure blob storage using T- SQL language.

The best business knowledge comes from the data you collect. So it might be a good idea to put the data you collect into some good use. Businesses collect lot’s of data, but in most cases this is also where it ends. Those who read my posts before,  know I am all about combining various sources with linked servers, since SQL 2014 lot’s of new features are available for using all your data on business intelligence platforms.

In my last post, we had a first look and troubleshoot of a polybase installation. This time we are going to configure and use the polybase in SQL server 2017. I’m going to use the Blob storage on Azure to demonstrate how you can implement this solution in your (local) SQL database.

First things first, now you’ve got your polybase installation ready, check if the services for polybase exist and are running.

Services: ‘SQL Server PolyBase Data Movement’ and ‘SQL Server PolyBase Engine’

You need to configure Polybase in order to start using it. Fire up SSMS and open a new query window. Type

sp_configure ' hadoop connectivity', 4;

reconfigure

Option 4 is Azure blob storage (WASB[S]). For more info on availability of the Polybase connectivity configuration, take a look here. Run the query and make sure you restart both Polybase services on the machine to finish the configuration.

In order to start using the blob storage make sure you have an Azure storage account if you don’t have an Azure account yet, create one here.

Login to Azure and on the left side select and create a new storage account

Give it some time, once the storage is created, you also need to create a container on the Azure storage.

To connect your local db to azure  storage, you need to get the azure storage key from your Azure storage account you just created and put it in the configuration file of your SQL installation.
Look for the core-site.xml file in the installation path of SQL Server.
The path looks simular to this: “C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL14.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Binn\Polybase\Hadoop\conf”
This will open the config directory  with the core-site.xml file.

Open the file in notepad and add code before the block of code mentioning Kerebos.

Fill in the storage name, in my case polybasedemo  and the storagekey and save the file.

 fs.azure.account.key..blob.core.windows.net

Now we have to create an external data source in SSMS. Replace containername@storagename with the names you created on Azure.

CREATE EXTERNAL DATA SOURCE PolyBaseDemo WITH
( TYPE = HADOOP, -- wasbs:// containername@storagename.blob.core.windows.net/ 
LOCATION = 'wasbs://containername@storagename.blob.core.windows.net/' );

Next up, we create the external file format to define external data on Azure blob storage, this needs to be done in order to create the external table

CREATE EXTERNAL FILE FORMAT PolybaseFormat 
WITH ( FORMAT_TYPE = DELIMITEDTEXT , FORMAT_OPTIONS ( FIELD_TERMINATOR = ',' ) );

This creates 2 new server objects in SSMS and now all is left to create the external table itself. In this demo I use an excel sheet with some irrelevant data to have some test data available.

USE [DemoPolybase] CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE [dbo].[Customers] ( [Name] VARCHAR(255) NULL, [adres] VARCHAR(255) NULL, [postalcode] VARCHAR(6) NULL ) WITH (LOCATION = N’/Customer_Export.csv’, DATA_SOURCE = PolyBaseDemo, FILE_FORMAT = PolybaseFormat, REJECT_TYPE = Value, REJECT_VALUE = 10) GO

And to see if this worked, just query the data 🙂

SELECT * FROM [Customers]

Now put this knowledge into action yourself with some real data!


Polybase installation on SQL Server 2017 part I- Oracle JRE 7 Update 51 (64-bit) or higher is required

Fresh new year, so a good time to check out the newest SQL Server! So far the installing process itself in SQL server 2017 brings no big new surprises. Just like the SQL Server 2016, you have to optionally download and install the SSMS via the Microsoft website, the link will be provided once the installation has finished.

SQL Server 2017

Next the install en configuration starts. I'll highlight the one pain in the ass I encountered this time.

I already talked about the Polybase feature related to the content in a podcast early 2016, but this time an install and setup walkthrough, plus a warning for all the people bravely installing oracles newest version of java.

When you select the Polybase to be installed and you payed close attention, or already used it in 2016 edition, you know that you need the oracle SE Java Runtime Environment.Polybase Oracle JRE

If this is not already installed on you're computer, the installation will fail, resulting in this message :

---------------------------
 Rule Check Result
 ---------------------------
 Rule "Oracle JRE 7 Update 51 (64-bit) or higher is required for Polybase" failed.

This computer does not have the Oracle Java SE Runtime Environment Version 7 Update 51 (64-bit) or higher installed. The Oracle Java SE Runtime Environment is software provided by a third party. Microsoft grants you no rights for such third-party software. You are responsible for and must separately locate, read and accept applicable third-party license terms. To continue, download the Oracle SE Java Runtime Environment from https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=526030.
 ---------------------------
 OK
 ---------------------------

 

You need to head over to oracle.com and install a 7.51 or higher version, currently 9.0.1 is the highest, so seems legit to install this one.

Java install

 

 

 

 

 

Once you downloaded the correct product, In my case I choose the Windows Offline. Now run the Java install and return to your SQL Server setup for a re-run.

Wait what? Same message! "Requires JRE 7 update 51 or higher". I just installed the latest JRE version, did a restart and java is up and running.

So, this it the moment you ask yourself, do I really really want the polybase feature that bad? The anwser is Yes! To start the troubleshoot, I decided, to do some backward compatibility, the oldest version available from site, without using my oracle client registration is 8.151, and guess what...This did the trick!

So stay away from the newest 9 version for as long as possible.

Next post will be the setup and configuration of the polybase

 

 


How to use Fusion Tables in your Android app

This tutorial explains how to make a database available in an Android app with google Fusion Tables.

Fusion tables is an experimental data visualization web application to gather, visualize, and share data tables.

Create a new project on the google developers console. Now search for "Fusion Tables" in the list of API's, click on it and enable the tables.

 

 

It ask for credentials, the next step is to create a service account associated with the project.

This service account is for troubleshooting and editing data by multiple users.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now the service account is set up, you can resolve a key you need in order to use the tables in your project, in my case i'm using App Inventor. From the API Manager Credentials page select the service account and click 'Create Credentials'.

Now we need to connect the fusion tables to our project.

Look up the Fushi0n tables in the API.

 

 

 

 

Now you can either create a fusion table, use available public data or import a data file and the fusion table is ready to be used.

My next step is to integrate the fusion tables into an android app.  As i said before I'm using app inventor for this project, since it's very user friendly.

 

 

 

 

With the inventor blocks I retrieve the fusion data into my app with an initialize and get statement.


SQL2016 Stretch database. Yes, it’s another linked server

Your manager always wants to keep all the data...now with bigdata being a thing and algoritmes are used more efficient (IOT), people want to hoard data even more, but it needs to be online to be valuable. If you have to restore the data first, your data is not very valuable. But all this extra data also slows down your database performance...and gives the dba'ers extra challenges....but not anymore.! Well, at least when your boss got a big wallet and don't mind spending it on a SQL buget.

In SQL2016 Microsoft introduced the stretch database. which give you live access to 'archived' data and makes it feel like it's on premise. And  it's a secretly just a linked server! A linked server between mssql and Azure.LS+azure

How does this work, and is it safe?

Yes! since it works on secure linked server technology and it stores an encryption key on the on-premises sqlserver, it's suitable for all your cold data, not hot, because it does slow down the query speed, but it will not clogg your network and your data will be available at all times, even when the data is being stretched over to Azure the data still is fully query-able.

First ask yourself, Do you really need to keep this data? If yes, How do you create a stretchdatabase? Well, this is easy!

Hesitations? use this link for info on the MS Stretch database advisor.

I use a simple test database, the adventureworks2016 ctp3.

Before we can start, check if the data archive function is enabled, if not (0) enable it.

####Check status of Remote data archive####
SELECT @@VERSION AS 'SQL Server Version'; 
EXEC sp_configure 'remote data archive'; 
GO 
####Activate Remote data archive####
EXEC sp_configure 'remote data archive' , '1'; 
GO 
RECONFIGURE; 
GO

Next we can create a master key to encrypt all your data locally, this way, the data can't be read in Azure.
Note: You can also create a masterkey from the stretchdb wizard, it's up to you. I'll show both options.

USE AdventureWorks2016CTP3; 
GO 

CREATE MASTER KEY ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD='stretchdb2016'; 
GO

Next I will create a simple table  and populate it with some data, to keep the demo quick and simple :

CREATE TABLE dbo.Stretchtable
(
FirstName VARCHAR (50),
LastName VARCHAR (50)
);
GO


Use [AdventureWorks2016CTP3]
GO
INSERT INTO dbo.Stretchtable (FirstName, lastName)
VALUES ('Reed', 'Richards'), ('Benjamin', 'Grimm'), ('Sue', 'Storm'), 
 ('Johnny', 'Storm'), ('Victor', 'Von Doom'), ('Willie','Lumpkin');
 GO

Keep your Azure account ready! I use the SQL logical server resource, you need to create a resource before you can stretch the database.

Azure resource

 

Select the table you will be stretching to Azure. Now enable the table for stretching and the wizard will open up.

Enable stretch database

It's a Hybride archive - You can stretch the whole table or filter out the (c)old data from a massive table.
4_EnableStretchTable

 

Next thing you create a master key, if you didn't make it before, if you made it already, It will ask you to fill in the master password.Masterkey_StretchTable
10_LoginStretchTable

Fill in the IP range for a firewall rule.IP_Azure

12_EnableStretchTable

Hey Ho, let's go, that was easy!

Now the table will start to stretch, if you want to see if it stretched yet, try a select query and check the executionplan.
14_EnableStretchTable

Want your data back? No problem, You can bring back the data to your on-premise server, if you don't want to use Azure. Because, when you delete your azure account, the data will be gone too!

bringbackmydatabringbackmydata2bringbackmydata3

 

Note: Data storage can be expensive on Azure, but this function gives us a positive view on the ever growing databases and it's possibilities.