In this article, Fikrat Azizov describes the different approaches to maintaining statistics and shows how you can use the data from your servers for intelligent statistics updates.
2016-06-01
3,273 reads
For T-SQL Tuesday #78, Aaron Bertrand takes a look at whether RID Lookups are faster than Key Lookups, with a small battery of fairly simple duration tests.
2016-05-31
3,857 reads
The most frustrating thing with any new system is often just working out how to connect to it. Oddly, you can’t use SSMS with SQL Data Warehouse, but it is fine with SSDT, SSIS, Power BI desktop, sqlcmd, BCP, and a range of Microsoft cloud services - there are PowerShell Cmdlets too. Rob Sheldon provides the details.
2016-05-30
3,054 reads
SQL Server database developers seem reluctant to use diagrams when documenting their databases. It is probably because it has, in the past, been difficult to automatically draw precisely what you want, other than a vast Entity-relationship diagram. However, you can do it without buying any third-party tool, just using some existing Java-based open-source tools; and can even automate it entirely, using SQL and PowerShell. Phil Factor shows how.
2016-05-27
5,062 reads
Ayo Olubeko talks through the improvements being made to SQL Server tooling in 2016.
2016-05-26
4,366 reads
Sometimes it's good to re-think how to write a query; set operations can provide performance benefits over 'straight SQL'. In this article, David Fitzjarrell takes a look at one such example in action.
2016-05-25
3,710 reads
14th June, Londo, UK - Inside-SQL conference offers deep dives on a range of SQL Server topics, with tracks focusing on DBAs, Developers and BI.
Use the discount code "Redgate" for £40 off the price of a ticket.
2016-05-24
2,209 reads
Now, it is easy to provide professional-quality documentation for PowerShell cmdlets, and to keep it in sync when you make changes, whether they are written in PowerShell or C#. While this has always been easy to do in PowerShell, it was always painful to do in C# or VB because it meant having to build your own MAML file. Michael Sorens completes his three-part series by summarising, in a wallchart, how to go about it.
2016-05-24
2,675 reads
Glen Berry talks through a number of useful new developments in hardware, storage, and the Microsoft Windows and SQL Server ecosystem.
2016-05-23
3,214 reads
Denzil Ribeiro looks at the validation phase of transaction lifetime.
2016-05-20
2,662 reads
By Brian Kelley
During COVID, I attended training on software/enterprise architecture given by Mark Richards. One of...
For me, the objective is straightforward: have a backup strategy that is reliable, understandable,...
By DesertDBA
Note: This post is the invitation for T-SQL Tuesday #204 on November 3rd, 2026....
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The ##MS_DatabaseConnector## User
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Planning for Change
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Importing Excel files into SQL...
On SQL Server 2025, I run this code as a sysadmin:
CREATE LOGIN Demo WITH PASSWORD = 'Demo1234567' GO ALTER SERVER ROLE ##MS_DatabaseConnector## ADD MEMBER Demo GOI then login as Demo and run this:
USE sandbox go SELECT CURRENT_USERWhat is returned? See possible answers