The Bleeding Edge Versus N Minus One
Risk-averse managers are reticent to upgrade to the latest and greatest. Why is this the case and how can the savvy DBA make the case for and get ready for a newer version of SQL Server?
2016-06-28
2,883 reads
Articles
SQL Server Sargability - Queries on an Indexed Table Sometimes have Slow Performance
The solution here was to slightly modify the slow queries, so the index could be fully used. We made the queries Search Argumentable, or "SARGABLE."
2016-06-28
4,654 reads
Configuring geo-replication for an Azure SQL Database
This article will discuss geo-replication for an Azure SQL Database (PaaS) and the steps required for setup via the Azure portal and TSQL.
2016-06-27
1,939 reads
The Plain Simple Password Page Not So Simple Anymore
The requirements for the management of passwords have become far more complex over the past few years in response to the increasing sophistication of security breaches. Nowadays, you need to provide a range of features such as hashing, routine change of passwords, preventiion of repeat passwords, email confirmation, auto-generation of random passwords and password quality checks. Dino Esposito explains.
2016-06-27
3,535 reads
Practical Uses for Synonyms in SQL Server
The concept of a synonym was introduced in SQL Server 2005. Synonyms are very simple database objects, but have the potential to save a lot of time and work if implemented with a little bit of thought. This article discusses what exactly a synonym is, and a few examples of how to use them.
2016-06-24 (first published: 2014-09-11)
25,251 reads
Persistent PowerShell: The PowerShell Profile
You can mould PowerShell to the way you want to work, with all the settings and modules that you require, by using the profiles. Profiles are PowerShell scripts that run at startup, and once you have understood where they are and when each is used, they have a whole range of uses that make using PowerShell a lot more convenient.
2016-06-24
5,348 reads
Custom Solution to Measure SQL Server Query Performance Improvements
Performance tuning is a creative process which requires a lot of attention and manual work. SQL Server 2016's Query Store makes some of this work much easier, but what if you're using an earlier version? Fikrat Azizov shows how to automate assessing SQL Server query performance changes by using custom performance collection tools and reports.
2016-06-23
4,487 reads
Altering an Existing Table to Support Temporal Data
In this article Greg Larsen explores using the temporal table feature of SQL Server 2016 to create a history table for an existing SQL Server table.
2016-06-22
3,450 reads
Migrating SSIS Projects and Parameters, Part 1
In this first part to looking at deploying SSIS packages to new environments, Andy Leonard looks at a few options for migrating your work to a new instance.
2016-06-21
4,747 reads
Taking Azure SQL Data Warehouse for a Test-Drive
Azure SQL Data Warehouse uses SQL to query the data, but there are some differences to SQL Server's dialect of TSQL, and queries don't necessarily work in the same way. DBAs are also required to use SSDT to access Azure SQL Data Warehouse. It is worth taking the time to try the preview of the product, and take it for a 'spin around the block', following Robert Sheldon's walk-through.
2016-06-21
4,892 reads
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Happy Holidays, Let's Do Nerdy Stuff
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UNISTR Escape
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Celebrating Tomorrow
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Question of the Day
UNISTR Escape
In SQL Server 2025, I run this command:
SELECT UNISTR('*3041*308A*304C\3068 and good night', '*') as "A Classic";
What is returned? (assume the database has an appropriate collation)
A: 
B: 
C: 
See possible answers