Implementing System-Versioned Temporal Tables in SQL Server: A Practical Guide
This article discusses the basics of System Versioned (Temporal) tables and how inserts, updates, and deletes are handled.
2026-11-13
752 reads
Articles
What does my SQL Server data look like over the wire?
How can I see what the outgoing and incoming traffic to my SQL Server instance looks like? Are there any tools that can help with this? Check out this tip to learn more.
2026-11-13
Enforcing Unique Customer Emails When Duplicates Already Exist
How do you keep some duplicate records by not others? An interesting business rule enforced by cleanup and a filtered index.
2026-11-11
1,461 reads
How to secure temporary objects, metadata visibility, and audit assurance in SQL Server
This article, part of Fabiano Amorim’s complete guide to SQL Server security, explains and demonstrates where these three features commonly go wrong. Learn the the exact signs and queries to check for exposure – and the practical fixes that turn a theoretical risk into a closed gap.
2026-11-11
Table Partitioning in SQL Server: A Practical Guide to Managing Very Large Tables (VLDBs)
Introduction When we first start working with SQL Server, most tables are small enough and we do not think much about their size. But over time, a table can collect millions or even billions of rows. For example, an online shopping application may store every order ever placed, a banking system may retain years of […]
2026-11-09
3,296 reads
SQL DROP COLUMN Without Breaking Code
Adding a column is relatively easy, since the applications can just ignore it in most cases. But taking a column away can be a little bit more work, as you may have to trick the applications into believing the column is still there. I often see systems where deprecated columns have stayed around “forever” — because people are too afraid to remove them, or because they don’t have the access or capability to modify the source code of the affected applications.
2026-11-09
Packing and Decoding Device Status Codes with LEFT_SHIFT() and RIGHT_SHIFT() in SQL Server
Some systems store several small status values through a single packed integer. For example, a device integration may require tracking operating mode, alert level, and zone information as one status code rather than separate values in different columns. That creates a practical reporting problem. The packed value may be convenient for an integration format, but […]
2026-11-06
1,700 reads
SQL Server 2016 end of support: how to choose your upgrade path
SQL Server 2016 reached the end of extended support in July 2026, which means it no longer receives regular security updates unless you pay for Extended Security Updates (ESUs).
2026-11-06
Importing Excel files into SQL Server, Azure Edition
How to Use Azure Functions to insert Excel Files into an Azure SQL Database.
2026-11-04
2,021 reads
Migrate a VLDB with SQL Server Log Shipping
You just had a great weekend. You go grab your coffee and before you take a sip a manager grabs you and says, “we need your help.” We need to migrate a very large database to our new data center. We need to keep the data in sync and have a short period of downtime when we cutover.
2026-11-04
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Adding Bits I
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Question of the Day
Adding Bits I
I have a table, dbo.bittest, where I am testing an application response. This has this structure:
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[BitTest] ( [insertdate] [datetime] NULL CONSTRAINT [DF__BitTest__insertd__300F11AC] DEFAULT (getdate()), [a] [bit] NULL ) ON [PRIMARY] GOMy application runs this code:
INSERT dbo.BitTest
(
insertdate,
a
)
VALUES
(DEFAULT, 'true')
GO
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