Live Query Plans and Blocking
Erik Darling looks at how SQL Server 2016's live query plans react when they're blocked.
2017-11-01
3,227 reads
Articles
Six Scary SQL Surprises
The working life of the DBA can be punctuated by surprises, but they aren't generally nice surprises. This is especially true if the DBA is not checking and monitoring the databases for obvious things such as database corruption, and disk space. However, the really scary surprises are less obvious and provide fewer warning signs. Brent Ozar gives six scary surprises that can be avoided by the shrewd DBA.
2017-10-31
7,099 reads
Backup SQL Server Databases in Parallel with PowerShell
I have a need to decrease the time my SQL Server database backups are taking to run. I thought about trying to run multiple backups at the same time to see if that would work. I could have created multiple SQL Server Agent Jobs to run at the same time, but I wanted a more dynamic way to handle this, so I created a PowerShell script that allows processes to run in parallel.
2017-10-30
3,911 reads
Adding Time Intelligence to a Power BI Data Model
In this article I want to provide an introduction to the vital set of functions that help you to use a time element when analyzing data
2017-10-27 (first published: 2016-06-06)
7,141 reads
Extracting a DAX Query Plan With Analysis Services 2016 Extended Events
In this post, Koen Verbeeck shows how to use SQL Sever 2016's Extended Events to find the query plan for a DAX query, just like you would for a T-SQL statement.
2017-10-27
3,058 reads
The SQL Server Features that Time Forgot
Every new release of SQL Server comes with new features that cause a ripple of excitement within the industry: well, amongst the marketing people anyway. What happens to all the exciting TLAs that are bandied about when a new version launches? It's mixed, it seems. Adam Machanic's classic post, The SQL Hall of Shame, has inspired Rob Sheldon to look back at some of the features that, though worthy, have may have failed to hit the mainstream.
2017-10-27
5,970 reads
How to Hire a Junior DBA
Brent Ozar covers some questions you need to ask yourself before hiring a Junior DBA.
2017-10-26
4,154 reads
SQL Server R Services: Working with ggplot2 Statistical Graphics
It is when you use R in SQL Server with one of the huge range of packages that comes with it that you can begin to appreciate the power of the system. With a package such as ggplot there are many 'knobs one can twiddle' in order to get spectacular and informative visualisations. Rob Sheldon continues his beginners series for R in SQL Server by showing how to refine the output to get it as you need it.
2017-10-25
3,267 reads
A Freecon Halloween at the PASS Summit
If you're attending the PASS Summit in 2017, there's a Freecon day on Tuesday you can attend.
2017-10-24 (first published: 2017-10-13)
1,400 reads
Parameter Sniffing In Action
This article will demonstrate what is parameter sniffing and how can it can kill performance
2017-10-24
2,182 reads
Blogs
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...
Au Revoir for now
By Steve Jones
No, I’m not quitting or retiring. Just going on vacation, but I leave tonight...
Forums
Let's Talk Certifications
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Let's Talk Certifications, which is...
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