The columnstore index in SQL Server 2012 stores columns instead of rows, and is designed to speed up analytical processing and data-warehouse queries. Whilst columnstore indexes certainly do that effectively, they are not a universal panacea since there are a number of limitations on them. When used appropriately, they can reduce disk I/O and use memory more efficiently.
2013-08-20
3,335 reads
A foreign key points to a primary key that must exist in another table, for example, column X in Table 1 must also be present in Table 2. The key protects this link, and only valid data can be inserted in the foreign key column. An untrusted foreign key may threaten a database’s referential and data integrity.
2013-08-20
2,554 reads
Join Red Gate for a free seminar on September 27 (the day before SQL Saturday Denver). Steve Jones, SQL Server MVP and editor-in-chief of SQLServerCentral.com, will present best practices for SQL Server database development, in addition to showing Red Gate tools in action.
2013-08-20
1,406 reads
This article shows how to implement a Slowly Changing Facts Table, how to overcome the problems encountered when using the MERGE statement to process the data and suggest a minimal set of indexes to aid data loading and quering.
2013-08-19
10,182 reads
It’s hard to avoid privacy-based stories at the moment, with growing concern over government snooping and the limits of power. But where I’m based, in the UK, there’s a new, fully-privatised invasion of privacy. One marketing company has created an outdoor wi-fi basestation that grabs your phone’s MAC address as you pass, with the idea […]
2013-08-19
79 reads
How much of an improvement in processing time can a simple SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) partitioning structure provide? Can you provide any examples? Does this processing time improvement only apply to the fact tables? Check out this tip to learn more.
2013-08-19
4,512 reads
Though the Key/Value pair paradigm is common to almost every computer language, there is no clear agreement yet for the definition of a Key/Value Pair database. However, Key/Value pair databases are valuable for special applications where speed of writing data is more important than searching and general versatility. Buck Woody experiments.
2013-08-16
3,457 reads
This article describes different methods for deploying your SSIS projects to a server.
2013-08-15
10,073 reads
I’ve introduced my manager to SQL Server’s cloud based platform, SQL Azure and Windows Azure Virtual Machine. He wants to test functionality with some of our applications, which would require me to move my on premise databases to the Azure Virtual Machine. What is the easiest way to accomplish this task? See how it is done in this tip.
2013-08-15
2,928 reads
The SQLServerCentral.com survey will end on Wednesday August 21st. Let us know how we're doing and be in with a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card. Winners will be announced later that week.
2013-08-15
2,625 reads
By Steve Jones
I coach volleyball and I do a lot of stat stuff on paper. I...
By Steve Jones
dolorblindness – n. the frustration that you’ll never be able to understand another person’s...
By Steve Jones
I had a customer ask about analyzing their Test Data Manager (TDM) usage to...
Is there a good syllabus for reading these two together? (Yes, it's called the...
Comments posted to this topic are about the item GPX distance and time analysis...
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The DBA is Dead; Long...
In SQL Server 2025, if I want to remove an IP from a listener, what do I do?
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