PowerShell Desired State Configuration: Pull Mode

Automated configuration management is simpler with Desired State Configuration (DSC) and Push mode, but what is the best way to use DSC to automate deployments on your machines? ‘Push’ mode or ‘Pull’ mode? How can you reduce configuration-drift over time? Nicolas Prigent describes the second DSC deployment mode: Pull mode.

Using APPLY to make your queries DRYer

Using the APPLY operator to reduce repetition and make queries DRYer.

In-Memory OLTP - Row Structure and Indexes

There are several decisions to be made when designing indexes for Memory-optimized tables in In-Memory OLTP, and to make the best choice, it pays to understand something about the nature and usage of memory-optimised indexes. Murilo Miranda continues his series by explaining how such an index is unlike a conventional index.

Come to InsideSQL on June 14

Inside SQL is the Deep Dive conference for SQL Server professionals in London on June 14.

STRING_SPLIT() in SQL Server 2016 : Follow-Up #2

Aaron Bertrand rounds out his series on STRING_SPLIT() in SQL Server 2016 with additional tests comparing splitting techniques to TVPs.

Byte Me: Coins Only

Continuous Integration with Microsoft SQL Server

What about database development? In most projects, developers aren’t focused on database development and for proper CI, the database version should keep neck to neck with the application builds.

SQL Server AlwaysOn Endpoint Encryption Algorithm Compatibility Error

Ahmad Yaseen takes a look at how to deal with an endpoint encryption compatibility error when using SQL Server's AlwaysOn Availability Group Wizard.

Be the first to try Redgate SQL Compare 12

Hot on the heels of the SQL Server 2016 general release, the team at Redgate have just released beta builds for both SQL Compare and SQL Data Compare. As well as support for SQL Server 2016, these releases introduce a brand new user interface, and squash a whole host of bugs. In this blog post, Carly Meichen takes a closer look at what's new, and explains how you can give the development team your feedback and requests.

Looking at VIEWs, Close Up

Views in SQL can be difficult. It isn't easy to judge when to use them, It isn't always obvious how to determine if a view can be indexed or if it is updateable. Joe Celko takes a tricky topic and comes up with some helpful guidelines.