Importing Excel Data into Power BI Desktop

In any commercial setting, Excel Spreadsheets remain the preferred way of collecting and analysing data, and it makes sense that it should be easy to get the data into PowerBI so it can be made more generally available for sharing and further analysis. As well as the data, we'd probably need the other analysis components such as the Power Pivot tables, Power View visualizations, Power Query queries. It is all possible, and Robert Sheldon demonstrates how.

SQL Server v.Next - Linux Installation Step by Step

An introduction to SQL Server for Red Hat Linux Administrators with a step by step installation.

Reading, Writing, and Creating SQL Server Extended Properties

There is a great gulf between wanting to document your database properly with extended properties and actually doing it. Extended Properties have many uses but they aren't easy to use. Phil Factor is on a mission to make it easier for ordinary mortals to use extended properties as intended, to aid the database development process.

Extended Events for Tracking Backup and Restore Progress

Microsoft has introduced new extended events in SQL server 2016 which will give us detailed information about restore and backup process.

Spills SQL Server Doesn’t Warn You About

Table variables get a lot of bad press, and they deserve it. They are to query performance what the TSA is to air travel. No one’s sure what they’re doing, but they’ve been taking forever to do it.

Managing Packages Using Windows PowerShell

Windows hasn't had a package manager in the style of the Advanced Packaging Tool (APT) of Linux distributions. Apt-get is a great way of installing packages and other software. We have Chocolatey, of course which has a growing library of software and even allows you to automatically update software. Now PowerShell has an 'official' way of using any system, such as NuGet, Chocolatey, GitHub or PSget. It is definitely useful and likely to mature into an indispensable tool for Windows users. Nicolas explains wh.

Using Mod to Generate Work Shifts

A short story on using the mod function to a shifting query.

Capacity Planning Using Performance Data

Erin Stellato discusses the types of performance data needed to help with capacity planning.

Byte Me: Christmas Contingency

Disconnecting SQL Server connections after query execution

One way to improve SQL Server performance is to use as few resources as possible. In this post Rahul Mehta demonstrates how you can do this by disconnecting queries post-execution with a simple change in SSMS.