IoT Meets OLTP: How to Handle Backfilling Challenges in Real-Time Systems

This is the true story of a 64-core SQL Server brought down by poor assumptions about its data. A clustered index designed for neat, sequential IoT inserts was overwhelmed when the real readings arrived late, out of order, and in bulk. The same risk lurks in any high-write system with unpredictable insert patterns. This article shows what can go wrong and how to avoid it.

JSON_CONTAINS Function in SQL Server 2025

I have data coming into my SQL Server database as JSON. Before I start parsing it which is quite intensive, I need to check if some values are present in the JSON. Is there a function I can use to do this? Let’s see what the new JSON_CONTAINS function in SQL Server 2025 can do.

Unlocking the Power of FULL OUTER JOIN in SQL: Performance, Use Cases & Examples

Discover how the FULL OUTER JOIN in SQL can simplify queries, improve performance, and solve real-world data problems

SQL Server CROSS APPLY and OUTER APPLY Helpful Examples

Microsoft introduced the APPLY operator in SQL Server 2005. Similar to a JOIN, it allows correlation between two table expressions. The key difference between the JOIN and APPLY operators is when you have a table-valued expression on the right side and want to evaluate it for each row from the left table expression. Since they produce similar results, when do you choose an APPLY versus a JOIN?

Power BI TMDL View: Benefits, Security Risks & Best Practices

The Tabular Model Definition Language (TMDL) provides a simpler way of defining Power BI Semantic Models. Unlike the JSON-based Tabular Model Scripting Language (TMSL), TMDL uses a more accessible tab-based format for specifying DAX measures, relationships, and Power Query code.

Which Should You Use: VARCHAR or NVARCHAR?

You’re building a new table or adding a column, and you wanna know which datatype to use: VARCHAR or NVARCHAR?

Static Versus Dynamic Bulk Insert Imports of Multi-File Datasets

There are numerous use cases for multi-file imports of CSV files into a SQL Server table:

Query Plans Pop Quiz: Three Simple Questions

Can you answer these questions?

The Phoenix Project

In this newly updated and expanded edition of the bestselling The Phoenix Project, co-author Gene Kim includes a new afterword and a deeper delve into the Three Ways as described in The DevOps Handbook.

• Printed book:
  • US
• Kindle book:
  • US

Managing Underused Indexes in SQL Server Availability Groups – Part 2

Knowing the usage from all workloads is definitely better than focusing on only the primary or a single secondary. But what if I want to make more informed decisions, incorporating row counts, size, and index columns into this output?