Month: January 2013

Install Northwind database in Microsoft SQL Server 2012 in 3 easy steps

Posted on January 25, 2013 by - Blog, General

This guide will show how to install northwind database in only  3 easy steps.

Having trouble attaching northwind  database to your  SQL Server 2012? Well you are not alone! Northwind is the name of the sample database for SQL Server 2000, that later got replaced with the AdventureWorks sample database in SQL Server 2005. However, it is still used in e.g. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Database Development Training Kit so may still be relevant for users trying to learn SQL essentials.

The problem is that the original database file is not compatible with the newest version of SQL Server and causes difficulty for new users. We don’t believe the first lesson of SQL training should be jumping through hoops to get the sample data working, so here is the “fixed” database file and a guide to install it.

Good luck!

You can download the database here (zipped) and I would recommend you extract it to your SQL Server DATA folder as e.g.: “C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA”.

Step 1:

Open SQL Server Management Studio and connect to your instance. Right-click the “Databases” folder and click “Attach”.

Northwind Install step 1

Step 2:

Click “Add…”  in the “Databases to attach:” box and find NORTHWIND.MDF in your folder. Make sure to click on the file and check that the “Database Data File Location:” is accurate.  Click OK.

Northwind Install step 2-1

 

Northwind Install step 2-2

 

Step 3:

Notice that it includes a “NORTHWIND_log.ldf” which actually doesn’t exist. So we want to click on that and remove it. Don’t worry! A new log file will automatically get created in the right location once you have attached the datbase.  Also, verify that “NORTHWIND.MDF” has the right “Current File Path”. Click OK and check the “Databases” folder in SQL Server Management Studio for the “northwind” database.

Northwind Install step 3-1

Northwind Install step 3-2

That’s it! You should now have full access to the Northwind Sample Database in a SQL Server 2012 environment.

Identifying Product Line Profitability through Landed Cost Analysis

Posted on January 24, 2013 by - Blog, Targit, Webinar

Edit: The webinar is closed for registration (February 5th 2013)

Establishing landed costs for the products that a company handles can be a tricky business. There are freight costs, but they are not generally by SKU. There is trade promotional spending, which might be by item, by product group, or just to a customer. In order to accurately calculate the landed cost, all factors beyond the obvious Cost of Goods Sold must be considered.

Calculating landed cost is critical to understanding what a product actually costs and therefore what it can be sold for. Join us as we present how Business Impact and TARGIT helped Litehouse Foods master their Landed Cost requirements and significantly impact their product line profitability.

Click the Orange button and sign up for the Webinar through our partner Targit’s registration page. Takes only a few seconds.

Time: February 5th, 2013 at 2:00 EST

Recommended for: Logistics, finance, and manufacturing focused individuals looking to gain knowledge in Product Line Profitability.  Existing or prospective users of Business Intelligence solutions are welcomed too.

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[toggle_item title=”Landed Cost Definition” active=”false”]The total cost of a landed shipment including purchase price, freight, insurance, and other costs up to the port of destination. In some instances, it may also include the customs duties and other taxes levied on the shipment. (www.businessdictionary.com)
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PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Mac®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

Mobile attendees
Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet

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SQL Server 2012 SP1 is out!

Posted on January 8, 2013 by - Blog, General

To all Business Impact Clients:

Microsoft released on the 19th November, the first Service Pack (SP1) for SQL Server 2012. One can find the list of fixes in their support article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2674319 and read more about the individual bugs and issues.

In general, we are finding that SQL2012 is a highly stable, very fast improved edition of SQL Server and would recommend that anyone on anything older than SQL2008R2 consider an upgrade. Updates on the Business Intelligence Edition including Power Pivot are nice, but the overall speed, the improvements in clustering (AlwaysOn), the better version of BIDS (now called SQL Data Tools) and the columnar indexing have been highlights of a worthy product.

Windows Update should offer the SQL Server 2012 SP1 as a “suggested” update but is of course also available directly from Microsoft’s website: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2755533