There is plenty of competition in the database platform space for SQL Server. There's a new NuSQL platform, whose vendor hopes will replace SQL Server as the platform of choice in the cloud. However Steve Jones isn't sure this will be the case.  Read more...

A free day of training this weekend in Atlanta, GA.  Read more...

When no clustered index is defined on a table, that table is said to be a Heap. Heaps are not ideal when it comes to performance but there are lots of instances where you have heaps.   Read more...

Eliminate pesky legacy TEXT, NTEXT and IMAGE data types with this handy script.  Read more...

Steve Jones sees a problem with the Azure platform. It's one that he thinks is limiting adoption, and may become a big problem for Microsoft at some point.  Read more...

A free day of training in Redmond, WA this weekend on May 18, 2013.  Read more...

Unfortunately SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) does not support differential backups and creating full backups for the servers might take too much time. In this tip we are going to show how to synchronize two SSAS servers in order to have a failover server in case something goes wrong with one of the servers.  Read more...

On Thursday May 16th 12PM Central time, Robert Davis will discuss public facing websites on a global scale when looking at Data Architecture.  Read more...

The way we write code impacts our users, but it can also impact our wallet, especially in cloud computing. Steve Jones wonders how many people bother to profile and test their code.  Read more...

Identify orphaned Database Users and differentiate them from "Loginless" Database Users.  Read more...

Phil Factor on three "sanity checks" that any data scientist must perform in order to prevent businesses from interpreting data analysis errors, or fraudulent activity, as real trends.  Read more...

It is easy to get database monitoring wrong. There are several common-sense rules that can make all the difference between a monitoring system that works for you and helps to avoid database problems, and one that just creates a distraction. Adam Machanic spells out the rules, based on his considerable experience with database monitoring.  Read more...

Part 4 of the top 5 hard earned lessons of a DBA.  Read more...

This article will show you the importance of Indexed Views and how they can help performance.  Read more...

I have heard about parameterization for SQL Server queries, but what is Forced and Simple Parameterization and which one should I use for my SQL Server database?  Read more...

A picture can express a thousand words. That's a phrase that many of us understand well, and one we embrace when we try to present large amounts of data in reports and dashboards. This week Steve Jones asks you what visualizations you use.  Read more...

This SQL Monitor custom metric tells you if a specific SQL Server Agent job that runs at the same time every day has overrun. The metric is useful when a job can have negative effects on other processes if it overruns.  Read more...

Business Intelligence architect, Analysis Services Maestro, and author Bill Pearson exposes the DAX ISBLANK() function, and then provides some hands-on exposure to its use, particularly in combination with other DAX functions, in managing empty values underlying our PowerPivot model designs.  Read more...

We’re putting together a free eBook of 50 tips for Azure Storage, if you’ve got tips that you’d like to share we’d love to hear from you.  Read more...

If you are using replication in SQL Server, you can monitor it in SSMS, but it makes sense to monitor distribution jobs automatically, especially if you can set up alerts or even set up first-line remedial action when a problem is detected. Francis shows how to do it in T-SQL as an agent job.  Read more...