A Tool is Better than a Script
Tools are important to DBAs, but they need to be reliable, both in what they do, and how they work.
Understanding Deadlock Victim Selection in SQL Server
A short introduction to how deadlocks work and how you can affect their behavior inside your system.
Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return in SQL Server
Many organizations store cash-flow data inside SQL Server and decision-makers often need metrics like Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) to evaluate those cash flows. Is it possible to calculate NPV and IIR values in SQL Server without the use of external tools?
T-SQL Trigonometric Functions in SQL Server
Introduction SQL Server includes several built-in mathematical functions that allow developers to perform complex calculations directly within queries. Among these are trigonometric functions such as SIN(), COS(), and TAN(), which are useful in scenarios involving engineering calculations, geographic data processing, simulations, and analytics. Although these functions are straightforward to use, developers occasionally encounter unexpected results […]
How Multi-Column Statistics Work
The short answer: in the real world, only the first column works. When SQL Server needs data about the second column, it builds its own stats on that column instead (assuming they don’t already exist), and uses those two statistics together – but they’re not really correlated.
Other IDEs
This editorial was originally published on Jun 17, 2020. It is being republished as Steve is out of town. Let us know if you've changed your SQL IDEs since then. Most of us use SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio) to manage our SQL Server instances or to write database code. However, Microsoft does give us […]
Spring Connections and Learning at PASS On Tour
The spring PASS On Tour event is coming to Chicago in a few weeks.
T-SQL in SQL Server 2025: JSON_ARRAYAGG
Learn how the JSON_ARRAYAGG() function works in SQL Server 2025.
Why I Don’t Like Shared Development Databases
Today, Kendra explains why she doesn't like shared development databases.
Blogs
Programmatically Retrieving MLV Lineage and Refresh Times
Materialized lake views (MLVs) in Microsoft Fabric are an effective way to implement medallion...
Upgrading SQL Server Containers on the Laptop
By Steve Jones
I don’t have SQL Server installed on my laptop. In an effort to keep...
Forums
Increase Deadlock Detection
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Increase Deadlock Detection
A Tool is Better than a Script
Comments posted to this topic are about the item A Tool is Better than...
Understanding Deadlock Victim Selection in SQL Server
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Understanding Deadlock Victim Selection in...
Question of the Day
Increase Deadlock Detection
How can I alter the deadlock detection interval to 2 seconds instead of 5 seconds on my SQL Server 2025 instance?
See possible answers