IDENTITY vs SEQUENCE in SQL Server – which should you use?
This guide explains how IDENTITY columns and SEQUENCE objects differ in SQL Server, and how you might decide which one is appropriate for a given design.
2026-04-03
Articles
The Grafana Alternative to SSRS and Power BI
Learn how you can use Grafana natively inside SQL Server Reporting Services.
2026-04-01
6,065 reads
How to migrate from on-prem to the cloud: uncovering legacy system ‘skeletons’
In this article, Pat Wright explains how to identify hidden risks in legacy applications before moving to the cloud. It features practical advice and guidance to avoid migration failures and surprises.
2026-04-01
T-SQL in SQL Server 2025: JSON_OBJECTAGG
Learn about the new JSON_OBJECTAGG function in SQL Server 2025.
2026-03-30
2,543 reads
SQL Server Data Warehouse Concepts, Schema Design, and Implementation
Companies generate a huge amount of data on a daily basis from such things as sales transactions, inventory changes, and customer interactions. This data originates from different data sources and is stored in operational databases called OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) systems that primary focuses on transactions like data inserts, updates or deletes. Maintaining the transactional data in an OLTP database is important. However, if you need to analyze or report on the data, storing the data in a centralized repository in well-structured schema is necessary.
2026-03-30
2026-03-27 (first published: 2018-12-18)
9,604 reads
Using PostgreSQL as a NoSQL Store and a Search Engine
Introduction We mostly get inclined to use/introduce MongoDB for JSON storing/processing in our database system and Elasticsearch for searching operations in JSON data. However, what we often tend to overlook is that in reality, PostgreSQL can actually act as both NoSQL store and a powerful search engine too. It also comes with ACID guarantees, transactions, […]
2026-03-27
1,644 reads
What’s New in SSIS 2025?
There’s a new version of SQL Server released and we’re mainly an on-premises SQL Server shop. We’ve been using Integration Services (SSIS) for years now for all our ETL and data integration needs. With Microsoft’s focus on cloud (Azure and Fabric), does it make sense to upgrade our SSIS packages? Are there any new features?
2026-03-27
Seeding a Fabric Warehouse with dbt for Visual Studio Code: The Fabric Modern Data Platform
In this next installment, we look at using dbt to seed a Fabric Warehouse.
2026-03-25
2,972 reads
What are database keys? A practical guide
There’s not much to database keys, right? When you build a new table, you add a column to act as the primary key, then set it to auto-generate. Done. That’s all there is to know…right?
2026-03-25
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...
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Creating a JSON Document II
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Backing Up Azure Key Vault EKM Key: Stairway to TDE Level 6
By VishnuGupthanSQLPowershellDBA
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Every Database Has Problems
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Question of the Day
Creating a JSON Document II
I want to create a JSON document that contains data from this table:
TeamID TeamNameCity YearEstablished 1 Cowboys Dallas 1960 2 Eagles Philadelphia 1933 3 Packers Green Bay 1919 4 Chiefs Kansas City 1960If I run this code, what document(s) is/are returned?
SELECT json_objectagg( n.city : n.TeamName) FROM dbo.NFLTeams;See possible answers