The New OS Wars
A few countries are looking to reduce their reliance on US technology. While they might leave Windows, Steve thinks they will continue to run SQL Server.
What Power BI DirectQuery does to your SQL Server (and how to fix it)
Power BI DirectQuery can quietly overwhelm your SQL Server. Unlike Import mode, DirectQuery sends live T-SQL for every visual interaction, multiplying queries and placing heavy analytical load on the database. This article explains how to identify the worst offending DirectQuery queries, why the generated SQL is often inefficient, and what you can do from the database side, including indexing, Query Store, and reporting views, to improve performance. It also outlines practical changes on the Power BI side and when DirectQuery is simply the wrong architectural choice.
How to minimize downtime in a cloud migration
Pat Wright details how to plan cloud migration with minimal downtime. Learn key cutover strategies, testing methods, and critical questions to avoid data loss and system failure.
How User-Defined Types work in PostgreSQL: a complete guide
I’m sure I’m not alone when I say, sometimes I get sidetracked. In this particular instance, I hadn’t intended to start learning about User-Defined Types (UDT) in PostgreSQL – I just wanted to test a behavior that involved creating a UDT. But, once I started reading, I was hooked. I mean, four distinct UDTs with different behaviors? That’s pretty cool. Let’s get into it.
SQL Server 2022 Build List
This is a list of the builds for SQL Server 2022. There are other build lists available here. A list of all the builds that I can find and install on my Build VM. If you find a build not listed here, please let the webmaster know (webmaster at sqlservercentral.com). All builds are listed in reverse […]
SQL Server 2025 Build List
This is a list of the builds for SQL Server 2025. There are other build lists available here. A list of all the builds that I can find and install on my Build VM. If you find a build not listed here, please let the webmaster know (webmaster at sqlservercentral.com). All builds are listed in reverse […]
Configure Extensible Key Management Using Azure Key Vault - Level 3 of the Stairway to TDE
In this third level of the Stairway, we examine how to store your encryption certificate in the Azure Key Vault.
Blogs
On Speaking Well
By Brian Kelley
Professor Patrick Winston of MIT used to give a one-hour talk about how to...
Monday Monitor Tips: Oracle Custom Metrics
By Steve Jones
One of the popular features of Redgate Monitor has been the ability to add...
Walking Through a Planned Failover: SQL Server Always On Availability Groups on Kubernetes
When building the sql-on-k8s-operator, I wanted to make sure it could handle both planned...
Forums
Are Akashic Records Course Fees Worth It? IIVS Review & Opinions
I’ve been exploring different platforms to learn about spirituality in a more structured way,...
Troubleshooting WQL in custom PBM conditions?
Hi, I'm currently trying to implement policy based mgmt with a condition to query...
Analysis of Locking Issues on Secondary Replicas in AlwaysOn Availability Groups
We have an AlwaysOn architecture with four replicas: two running in synchronous commit mode...
Question of the Day
The Vector Data Type
What is the vector data type in SQL Server?
See possible answers