When there’s a performance emergency, a lot of us perform the same manual tasks over and over. We run sp_BlitzWho or sp_WhoIsActive, look for blocking, long-running or out-of-control queries, and kill them.
2026-01-07
See how Claude Code helped load a lot of messy data into a database for less than $5.
2026-01-05
2,596 reads
Sometimes we cannot improve query performance because we don’t have control over the code. Consider a query that is generated by Entity Framework (EF) from the application and you do not have access to the source code. The main question is how you can improve SQL Server query optimization for a poorly performing query?
2026-01-05
In this article, I will provide a set of examples to show case the use of OUTPUT clause for INSERT and DELETE statements.
2026-01-02 (first published: 2017-05-25)
307,891 reads
This article covers the 10 key concepts developers should understand to avoid surprises and to use the model database intentionally.
2026-01-02
In this article, I am going to explain fixing a problem related login failure error with SQL Server. The Problem One of the common error in the SQL Server error log is "Login failed for user 'DomainName\ServerName$'. Reason: Could not find a login matching the name provided. [CLIENT: <local machine>]". Even though it says that […]
2025-12-31 (first published: 2020-11-24)
54,500 reads
Just like advances in artificial intelligence, I have heard that quantum computing is going to be a disruptive technology for our future. For instance, there’s the concern that it’s going to break/crack a lot of network encryption and potentially data encryption. What’s going to be affected, how long do we have, and what do I (and my organization) need to do to prepare for it?
2025-12-31
Learn about the new ZSTD compression algorithm in SQL Server 2025.
2025-12-29
2,052 reads
Beneath the surface though, AI is just a tool that learns certain patterns and draws conclusions from information on the Web to answer questions, make decisions, or craft a code sample or two. Those that have used AI in the past will know that just as it’s capable of providing valuable information, AI tools can also generate inaccurate responses, and that’s why it’s important to use it wisely.
2025-12-29
I’ve used SQL window functions for years, but I’ve never fully understood framing. To truly master window functions, you need at least a basic grasp of framing and how to apply it to your queries. Framing is especially helpful when working with aggregate functions. How can you overcome this hesitation to try framing?
2025-12-26
By Steve Jones
One of the things I’ve tried hard to do in database development situations if...
By DataOnWheels
The T-SQL Tuesday topic this month comes James Serra. What career risks have you...
This T-SQL Tuesday is hosted by the one and only James Serra – literally...
We have two "identical" instances of an ASP.NET web service (or so I have...
Comments posted to this topic are about the item OPENQUERY Flexibility
Comments posted to this topic are about the item A Full Shutdown
Which of these are valid OPENQUERY() uses?
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