Advice I Like: Celebrate Success

“On the way to a grand goal, celebrate the smallest victories as if each one were the final goal. That way, no matter where it ends, you are victorious.”...

Beware of Generic SQL Server License Keys (What to Use Instead)

Beware of Generic SQL Server License Keys (What to Use Instead)

I (think) realize that content here is probably more applicable to mid-to-large organizations than small...

On Speaking Well

Professor Patrick Winston of MIT used to give a one-hour talk about how to speak. Though Professor Winston is no longer with us, his talk still is. If you...

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: A Plan

My most recent bout with imposter syndrome was with ISACA’s Digital Trust Ecosystem Framework (DTEF) foundation exam. I’m blogging about it because I know a lot of people struggle...

Programmatically Retrieving MLV Lineage and Refresh Times

Materialized lake views (MLVs) in Microsoft Fabric are an effective way to implement medallion architecture declaratively, but once you have a pipeline of MLVs in production, you need visibility...

Designing a Storage Load Test for SQL Server

I’ve been doing storage load tests for SQL Server for a long time, both as a consultant and now in my work at Everpure, and I see the same...

How to Find Expensive Queries in Amazon Redshift

Slow-running queries can degrade your Redshift cluster’s performance and lead to increased costs. Identifying the most expensive queries is crucial to optimize resource usage and improve overall system efficiency.

Step-by-Step...

SWAG Saves the Day

PASS Summit East is in one week. I was on the road last week in the UK and then Houston for the Houston AI-lytics event. I had been a...

The Notification Trap: How Input Fatigue Is Killing Deep Work in Tech

If you’ve been here before, you know this blog is usually about SQL Server, PowerShell, and the day-to-day work of being a DBA. Execution plans, availability groups, dbatools scripts...

Upgrading SQL Server Containers on the Laptop

I don’t have SQL Server installed on my laptop. In an effort to keep things clean and smooth in case I need to rebuild things, I’ve gone with containers....