Exploring Recursive CTEs by Example
Recursive CTEs can be confusing and scary, so examining some non-standard examples may cast light upon these shadowy demons.
2014-07-25 (first published: 2012-07-17)
27,514 reads
Articles
SQL Monitor Custom Metric: WriteLog Wait Time
During a transaction, data is written to the log cache so that it’s ready to be written to the log file on commit, or can be rolled back if necessary. When the log cache is being flushed to disk, the SQL Server session will wait on the WriteLog wait type. If this happens all the time, it may suggest disk bottlenecks where the transaction log is stored.
2014-07-25
9,844 reads
Why Put Your Database into Source Control?
Checking program code into source control is a daily ritual for most developers, but versioning database code is less well-understood. Grant Fritchey argues that getting your databases under source control is not only vital for the stability of development and deployment, but it will make your life easier when something does go wrong.
2014-07-25
12,084 reads
Columnstore Index Changes in SQL Server 2014
SQL Server 2012 introduced columnstore indexes, which can immensely improve the performance of OLAP queries. How were they updated and improved in SQL Server 2014?
2014-07-24
8,389 reads
Restoring the SQL Server Master Database Even Without a Backup
Many DBAs back up their user databases, but not their system databases. Whatever the reason for the lack of a backup, John Grover explains how to save yourself (mostly) should you ever find yourself with no viable master database and no good backup.
2014-07-24
11,798 reads
SQL in the City Workshop - Continuous Integration Stairway
Red Gate’s running a half-day training workshop at their UK head office in Cambridge on Aug 8. It’ll show you how to link your database source control repository to your build system as the starting point for continuous integration.
2014-07-24
9,286 reads
Calculating and Verifying Check Digits in T-SQL
A lot of numbers that we use everyday such as Bank Card numbers, Identification numbers, and ISBN codes, have check digits. As part of the routine data cleansing of such codes we must check that the code is valid- but do we? Dwain Camps shows how it can be done in SQL in such a way that it could even be used in a constraint, and keep bad data out of the database.
2014-07-23
12,368 reads
Is Source Control Really That Boring?
The SSC team has put together a little quiz on database source control to go with Rob Richardson, Robert Sheldon, and Tony Davis' new book, SQL Server Source Control Basics. Do you daydream about source control... or daydream to avoid it?
2014-07-22
1,553 reads
SQL-only ETL using a bulk insert into a temporary table (SQL Spackle)
This article demonstrates a method of importing a data file directly into a temporary table and selectively inserting data from the temporary table into a SQL Server table, all in a single set of SQL commands.
2014-07-22
13,495 reads
Traits of a DBA - Part Two – The Personal Side of a DBA
A good DBA needs to have good technical skills but he also has to have good personal skills. In this article, Greg Larsen discusses the personal skills a DBA should have.
2014-07-22
12,741 reads
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