When one of your DBA colleagues leaves the company, what is your checklist?
A colleague left the company, a couple of days after SQL Server processes start failing...what do you do?
2020-09-29
6,424 reads
Articles
How SQL Prompt Improves SQL Server Database Development
While everyone knows SQL Prompt for its code completion and IntelliSense features, a lot of its extra value comes from features that allow the development team to standardize coding practices and drive up code quality.
2020-09-29
Running Container Workloads in Microsoft Azure
Containers are being used by more and more organizations to automate build pipelines in their CICD processes. In this article, Mahendran Purushothaman shows how to automate the creation of Docker containers and a Kubernetes cluster in Azure.
2020-09-29
A Getting Started PostgreSQL Tutorial
Introduction to PostgreSQL PostgreSQL is a free and general purpose open source object-relational database system that uses and extends the SQL language. Though originally designed to run on UNIX platforms, PostgreSQL is eligible to run on various platforms such as Linux, macOS, Solaris, and Windows. PostgreSQL databases provide enterprise-class database solutions and are used by […]
2020-09-28
6,786 reads
3 Ways to Run DBCC CHECKDB Faster
In my last post, I talked about how you can get 43%-67% faster backups. This time, I’m using that same SQL Server setup to discuss how throwing more CPU cores might help you check for corruption faster if you’ve already got modern fast storage.
2020-09-28
Solving the Provisioning Problem in Database Development using Clones
When database development is described, the details often get vague when the data gets beyond spreadsheet-size. There is 'hand-waving' talk of providing databases for each developer, but little detail of how you would provision all the databases that would be needed, at the correct version and with the correct development data, and then keep them all in sync with the source code, as developers commit changes. This article explains the requirements, and how SQL Clone can meet them.
2020-09-28
Creating Subtotals and Totals in Aggregated Queries
Grouping Sets are an effective way to add subtotals to aggregated queries. T His article explains how.
2020-09-25 (first published: 2018-09-06)
11,533 reads
Database Development with GitHub
How can you use GitHub to do team-based database development? This article proposes a process that splits development work into task-based GitHub branches, incorporates daily database builds and integration testing, and using Redgate tools to automate tasks such as provisioning, database scripting, and testing.
2020-09-25
Searching and Finding a String Value in all Columns in a SQL Server Table
Sometimes there is a need to find if a string value exists in any column in your table. This script will help you find all occurrences in all columns in the table.
2020-09-25
Incremental Data Loading using Azure Data Factory
Introduction In my last article, Loading data in Azure Synapse Analytics using Azure Data Factory, I discussed the step-by-step process for loading data from an Azure storage account to Azure Synapse SQL through Azure Data Factory (ADF). ADF basics are covered in that article. In this article I will go through the process for the incremental […]
2020-09-24
46,604 reads
Blogs
How to Clear the SSMS Cache (SSMS 21 and Later)
By SQLPals
How to Clear the SSMS Cache (SSMS 21 and Later) Updated...
The flight recorder: Replaying what an AI agent did on my SQL Server
By Arun Sirpal
“What exactly did it do on my server?” is the first question a DBA...
Announcements from the Microsoft Fabric Community Conference — Barcelona 2026
By James Serra
Microsoft shared a broad set of Fabric, Power BI, and SQL updates at FabCon...
Forums
Let's Talk Certifications
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The Hidden Security Risks of Role Combination in SSAS Tabular
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Hidden Security Risks of...
The Empty Aggregate
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Empty Aggregate
Question of the Day
The Empty Aggregate
I have this table in a SQL Server 2025 database:
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[CustomerOrder] ( [OrderID] [int] NULL, [CustomerID] [int] NULL, [total] [money] NULL ) ON [PRIMARY] GOWhat is returned from this code? (answers are for the sum and then the count)
SELECT SUM(total) AS sum,
COUNT(total) AS count
FROM dbo.CustomerOrder;
See possible answers