Solving an SSIS Error – Cannot convert between Unicode and non-Unicode (SQLServerCentral 12/15/2016)

[SQLServerCentral - www.sqlservercentral.com] A community of more than 1,600,000 database professionals and growing Featured Contents - [Solving an SSIS Error – Cannot convert between Unicode and non-Unicode] - [Listing Duplicate Values by Group] - [Deploying schema changes to multiple databases using the SQL Compare command line] - [Query Tuning 101: Debugging a procedure] (From the SQLServerCentral Blogs) The Voice of the DBA This is how to fail This editorial was originally published on Dec 17, 2013. It is being re-run today as Steve is traveling. Along with risk comes the inevitability of failure. With few exceptions, every organization and every person will, in time, experience some form of failure. We all hope to prevent and avoid the kind of colossal failure that presents a do-or-die moment for a business (or career), but when those moments do come, it's important to fail properly. Even when the unthinkable - a hack, a dropped production database, a loss of data - happens, it's critical to respond properly to minimize the damage and clearly communicate with those affected by the disaster. When I first read the news about the [massive Buffer hack] recently, I was nervous. I have been a Buffer user (albeit a relatively inactive one) for a few months, and since I have several social media networks connected through Buffer, I was concerned that those accounts may have also been compromised. I quickly learned that my account was not impacted, but immediately I was impressed with the way Buffer handled the whole mess. It was bad - some 30,000 users were affected (out of a [total user base of over 1 million][)] by the hack that allowed spammers to post message to the Facebook accounts of the affected users. Regardless of how the issue was handled, it was going to be ugly at the end of the day. However, Buffer did a fantastic job of minimizing the damage in the way they responded to the breach. Within a couple of hours of discovery of the hack, [Joel Gascoigne], CEO of Buffer, owned the failure by notifying Buffer users via email as well as through his blog and other social media. In a message entitled "[Buffer has been hacked - here is what's going on]," Gascoigne admitted that there had been a breach, described the symptoms of affected accounts, and listed for users what they should do in the meantime to prevent any further spam postings. Even though they didn't (at that time) know exactly what had led to the hack, he repeatedly apologized on behalf of Buffer without trying to make excuses or shift blame. In the hours and days to come, Gascoigne repeatedly updated Buffer users, via email and through his blog, on what they had learned about the breach, how it happened, and what users needed to do to resume normal operations with their Buffer accounts. The information he shared was both detailed and transparent - he didn't try to hide behind vague explanations or invoke confidentiality. Did he handle this failure properly? A quick perusal through the comments on his blog post show an overwhelming collective message of support and thanks. There is no doubt that this breach cost Buffer some users, very likely some of which were paying users. However, the public response in support of Buffer shows that rapid response, clarity and honesty in communication, and taking responsibility for failures goes a long way when the worst happens. Failures will come. How we address those failures is often as much of the story as the failure itself. Fail the right way. Tim Mitchell from [SQLServerCentral.com] Join the debate, and [respond to today's editorial on the forums] ADVERTISEMENT [DLM] Continuous Delivery for SQL Server Databases Spend less time managing deployment pain and more time adding value. [Find out how with Redgate DLM.] [SQL Monitor] SQL Monitor - Always have the answers to SQL performance issues SQL Monitor keeps an eye on your SQL Servers 24/7, so you don't have to. It helps you proactively monitor the performance of your SQL Servers, saving you time, and makes sure you always have the answers to tough performance problems. [Find out more....] [SQL Source Control] How to track every change to your SQL Server database See who’s changing your database, alongside affected objects, date, time, and reason for the change with SQL Source Control. Get a full change history in your source control system. [Learn more.] Featured Contents  [Solving an SSIS Error – Cannot convert between Unicode and non-Unicode] Thomas LeBlanc from [SQLServerCentral.com] When loading data with SSIS, sometimes there are various errors that may crop up. This article provides a solution when you get have a problem between Unicode and non-Unicode fields.[More »] ---------------------------------------------------------------  [Listing Duplicate Values by Group] Additional Articles from [Database Journal] Without question, one of the most common tasks performed by Database Administrators (DBAs) is identifying and weeding out duplicate values in tables. Despite the inordinate number of queries written by other DBAs to locate duplicate values in their database tables, the real challenge is in locating a useable SQL statement to go by. Rob Gravelle presents a few solutions that will save you some time down the road.[More »] ---------------------------------------------------------------  [Deploying schema changes to multiple databases using the SQL Compare command line] Additional Articles from [Redgate] Feodor Georgiev explains how SQL Compare Pro makes it possible to automate the process of synchronizing a source and target database. By calling SQL Compare from a simple batch script, he shows how to make it work for a whole list of targets, one after another.[More »] ---------------------------------------------------------------  From the SQLServerCentral Blogs - [Query Tuning 101: Debugging a procedure] Daniel Janik from [SQLServerCentral Blogs] I was recently asked to help tune a stored procedure that has been historically taking between 55 and 60 seconds...[More »] Question of the Day Today's Question (by Steve Jones): When I create an Inline User-defined Function, which of these reflects the structure of the function? Think you know the answer? [Click here], and find out if you are right. --------------------------------------------------------------- We keep track of your score to give you bragging rights against your peers. This question is worth 2 points in this category: T-SQL. We'd love to give you credit for your own question and answer. To submit a QOTD, simply log in to the [Contribution Center]. ADVERTISEMENT [Pro Power BI Desktop] This book shows how to deliver eye-catching Business Intelligence with Microsoft Power BI Desktop. You can now take data from virtually any source and use it to produce stunning dashboards and compelling reports that will seize your audience’s attention. Slice and dice the data with remarkable ease then add metrics and KPIs to project the insights that create your competitive advantage. Yesterday's Question of the Day Yesterday's Question (by Grant Fritchey): These two queries produce an identical graphical execution plan with identical estimated costs: -- Query 1 SELECT sd.OrderQty, pr.Name FROM (SELECT * FROM Sales.SalesOrderDetail AS sod ) AS sd JOIN (SELECT * FROM Production.Product AS p ) AS pr ON pr.ProductID = sd.ProductID WHERE sd.SalesOrderID = 52777; -- Query 2 SELECT sod.OrderQty, p.Name FROM Sales.SalesOrderDetail AS sod JOIN Production.Product AS p ON p.ProductID = sod.ProductID WHERE sod.SalesOrderID = 52777; How can you identify any differences? Answer: Use the SSMS “Compare Showplan” menu choice Explanation: The correct answer is to use the SSMS Compare Showplan menu choice. SSMS 2016 has introduced a new utility that allows you to compare two execution plans to find their similarities and their differences. One of the plans must be saved as a *.SQLPLAN file. That can then be opened to compare to another plan within SSMS. Initially the plans above look like this: The similarities have been highlighted. Differences are not highlighted. This means that differences are in the SELECT operator in the properties. You can drill down on them to see the actuall differences between these plans: The primary difference in these two plans is the time and resources it takes to compile them. --------------------------------------------------------------- [» Discuss this question and answer on the forums] Database Pros Who Need Your Help Here's a few of the new posts today on the forums. To see more, [visit the forums]. --------------------------------------------------------------- [SQL Server 2016] : [SQL Server 2016 - Development and T-SQL] [Select query inside procedure taking long time, clustered indexes doing scans, need suggestion] - I have a procedure, which is running very slow, and is being timed out without returning any records. 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