Query Active Directory from SQL Server

Get active directory server and LDAP servers in a domain
nltest /dclist:sub.dom.com

results amongst others in:
\\dcserver1.sub.dom.com -> dcserver1 is the AD server

Analyse active directory structure
Use Sysinternals ADExplorer to analyse the structure of active directory. Connect to server: dcserver1

Users in a group from command prompt
net group adtestgroup /domain

Active Directory structure in FROM clause
E.g. FROM "LDAP://sub.dom.com/OU=Groups,OU=Global,DC=sub,DC=dom,DC=com"

LDAP = case-sensitive protocol name, always this value
Before the slash: sub.dom.com, is the domain for which to find the AD structure
After the slash: the part of the tree to search. Specified from right to left. So in the example, from parent to child:
com -> dom -> sub -> Global -> Groups -> ADTestGroup, searches the nodes beneath the lowest level, which is ADTestGroup

The names ("dom", "Groups", etc), type ("OU", "CN", "DC") and depth of the levels are dynamic. So check with ADExplorer how AD is configured in the specific instance.

Users in a group from SQL Server
First, add a linked server to ADSI (fill with correct password for DOMAIN\ACCOUNT):

exec sp_addlinkedserver @server = 'ADSI', @srvproduct = 'Active Directory Services 2.5', @provider = 'ADSDSOObject', @datasrc = 'adsdatasource'
exec sp_addlinkedsrvlogin @rmtsrvname = 'ADSI', @useself = 'False', @locallogin = null, @rmtuser = 'DOMAIN\ACCOUNT', @rmtpassword = '********'

Select users in group "adtestgroup":

select * from openquery(ADSI,'
    SELECT objectCategory, cn, sn, mail, name, department, company
    FROM ''LDAP://sub.dom.com/DC=sub,DC=dom,DC=com''
    WHERE MemberOf=''CN=adtestgroup,OU=Groups,OU=Global,DC=sub,DC=dom,DC=com''
    ORDER BY cn
')

Unfortunately, dynamic sql is not possible inside a udf, so a procedure is needed:

alter procedure cst_usersingroup(@grp nvarchar(100))
as
begin
    declare @sql as nvarchar(max) = '
    select samaccountname as accountname, name, mail, department, title, company
    from openquery(ADSI,''
        SELECT objectCategory, cn, sn, mail, name, department, company, title, samaccountname
        FROM ''''LDAP://sub.dom.com/DC=sub,DC=dom,DC=com''''
        WHERE MemberOf=''''CN=' + @grp + ',OU=Groups,OU=Global,DC=sub,DC=dom,DC=com'''''')
    x
    order by samaccountname'

    exec(@sql)
end

Select all BI_* and EDW_* groups from active directory:

select lower(cn) as grp, whencreated, whenchanged, distinguishedname
from openquery(ADSI,'
    SELECT cn, distinguishedname, whencreated, whenchanged
    FROM ''LDAP://sub.dom.com/OU=Groups,OU=Global,DC=sub,DC=dom,DC=com''
    where CN=''bi_*'' or  CN=''edw_*''
') x
order by cn

Notes:

• In most cases, all domain users can query AD using the basic search method specified before. More advanced AD search methods might be disabled and require special rights

Create schema with separate autorization

Perform the following steps in SQL Server to create a schema called "bi" and give create view rights to user "domain\testuser":

CREATE SCHEMA [bi]
CREATE ROLE [db_bischema]
ALTER AUTHORIZATION ON SCHEMA::bi TO [db_bischema]
GRANT CREATE VIEW TO [db_bischema] -- "create view" includes the power to drop views
ALTER ROLE [db_bischema] ADD MEMBER [domain\testuser]

Advantages:

• If views are removed from or added to the schema, autorization does not need to be added to each individual view
• Give certain users the rights to (re)create the views inside the schema, without the risk of modification of the rest of the database

Pass table-valued parameter from VB.Net

1) Create table type itemtabletype for a table with one, unique clustered column called "item":

create type itemtabletype
as table (
item nvarchar(30) not null,
primary key clustered (item)
)

2) Create a procedure cst_testtabletype that has itemtable type as a table-valued input parameter:

create procedure cst_testtabletype

( @tv itemtabletype readonly )

as

begin

declare @itemcount int = 0

select @itemcount = count(*) from @tv

select concat('succesfully parsed item ',item) from @tv

end

The procedure returns all items provided in the table-valued parameter prefixed with the words "successfully parsed item ".

3) Give execution rights to user(s) and/or groups that are allowed to execute the procedure and table type:

grant exec on type::itemtabletype to [User]
grant exec on cst_testtabletype to [User]

4) Finally, create the following test routine  in VB.Net:

    Public Sub Start()

        'create data table
        Dim Table1 As DataTable

        'create a table named tmptbl
        Table1 = New DataTable("tmptbl")

        Dim row As DataRow

        Try

            'declare a column named item
            Dim item As DataColumn = New DataColumn("item")

            'setting the datatype for the column
            item.DataType = System.Type.GetType("System.String")

            'adding the column to table
            Table1.Columns.Add(item)

            'declaring a new row
            Dim i As Integer
            For i = 1 To 1000
                row = Table1.NewRow()
                row.Item("item") = i
                Table1.Rows.Add(row)
            Next

        Catch

        End Try

        'establishing connection. you need to provide password for SQL server
        Dim myConnection = New SqlConnection()

        myConnection.ConnectionString = "Server=mySQLServer;Database=myDB;Trusted_Connection=True;"

        Try

            myConnection.Open()

            Dim myCommand As New SqlCommand("cst_testtabletype", myConnection)

            ' the table-valued parameter is called @tv for cst_testtabletype
            Dim myparam As SqlParameter = myCommand.Parameters.Add("@tv", SqlDbType.Structured)
            'create parameter
            myCommand.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure
            myparam.Value = Table1

            Dim dr As SqlDataReader = myCommand.ExecuteReader()
            While dr.Read()
                Debug.Print(dr.Item(0))
            End While

        Catch ex As SqlException

            MsgBox(ex.Message)

        End Try

    End Sub

IsNumeric() stinks

Read the thoroughly insightful and funny post by Mike Teevee as a reaction to the technet documentation with regards to the useless ISNUMERIC() function introduced in SQL Server 2012:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms186272.aspx

Select "SQL Server 2012" under "Other Versions", otherwise the post is hidden.

Silverlight not working because of font issue

If Silverlight is installed correctly, but still not working, check for Windows Fonts with an ampersand in the name and remove them:

http://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/719317/silverlight-5-error-1001-font-filename-issue

Uneasy way to determine proxy server

Open a command prompt and perform the following steps:

1. Inspect the output of netstat -an | find "EST" (short from 'ESTABLISHED')
2. Go to a fresh site (one that you have not recently visited)
3. Run the netstat command again, looking for the new connection. It might look like:
   TCP 192.168.1.1:1989 192.168.1.88:8080 ESTABLISHED

(credits go to Royce Williams)

Alternatively, install TCPView and look at the remote address and remote port columns for the browser connections.

Configure Reporting Services proxy for Bing maps

Add the following XML element to the web.config of both folders:
...\MSSQL\MSRS11.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportManager\
...\MSSQL\MSRS11.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\

Add at the end between the runtime close tag and configuration close tag:

</runtime>
<system.net>
     <settings>
          <ipv6 enabled="true" />
      </settings>
      <defaultProxy enabled="true" useDefaultCredentials="true">
           <proxy bypassonlocal="True" proxyaddress="http://:"/>
       </defaultProxy>
</system.net>
</configuration>

It might be needed to restart the Microsoft Reporting Services service.

Change records per page in Master Data Services

To change the number of records/rows per page in the Explorer view of Microsoft Master Data Services (MDS), do the following:

• Select an entity
• Click on Settings in the top-right corner
• Set "records per page"

Note:
This has to be done per entity and each time the entity is edited. It is not possible to set the records per page one time for all entities.

To change the number of entries in a dropdown list for all entities:

• Edit table master_data_services.dbo.tblSystemSetting
• Update the SettingValue for SettingName "DBAListRowLimit" to the desired value