Are microservices the cure for the ague of monolithic applications, or do they bring their own problems with them that monolithic architectures have circumvented? Are they capable of delivering applications that are easier to maintain and develop? How can they avoid the failings of service-oriented architectures? Once more, Robert Sheldon gets to the heart of the technical issues.
2015-04-30
7,853 reads
Big data applications are not usually considered mission-critical: while they support sales and marketing decisions, they do not significantly affect core operations such as customer accounts, orders, inventory, and shipping. Why, then, are major IT organizations moving quickly to incorporating big data in their disaster recovery plans?
2015-04-29
9,397 reads
For users to get the information they need from mobile reports, we frequently have to tailor the way we design those reports to the characteristics of the target device. Adam Aspin demonstrates some of the ways that we can deliver easy-to-use Business Intelligence to tablets and smartphones using Reporting Services.
2015-04-28
7,735 reads
If you need to do a time test for restoring an Azure SQL database from a point in time, and wonder about automating this through PowerShell, here are the guidelines that Tim Smith would you recommend?
2015-04-27
4,842 reads
Microsoft 'Always On' technology does not support distributed or cross-database transactions. Why not? Grahaeme Ross shows how to investigate cross-database transactions to understand the problem in more detail, and concludes that a Cross-Database transaction can cause loss of data integrity in the commit phase of the two-phase commit.
2015-04-24
7,846 reads
Say you have a SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) package with a Foreach Loop container. Inside that container you have a task that sometimes can fail. Koen Verbeeck provides a tip on how to implement SSIS so that, if it fails, the loop will just continue, skip the current step and go to the next iteration.
2015-04-23
7,361 reads
Access-control within the database is important for the security of data, but it should be simple to implement. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the jargon of principals, securables, owners, schemas, roles, users and permissions, but beneath the apparent complexity, there is a schema-based system that, in combination with database roles and ownership-chaining, provides a relatively simple working solution.
2015-04-22
6,866 reads
There are several different approaches to automating deployment of SQL Server Infrastructure-as-a-Service virtual machines in Microsoft Azure. Marcin Policht examines an approach that involves uploading or creating a custom operating system image which is well suited for scenarios where you want to deploy a custom-configured SQL Server instance to multiple virtual machines with minimal effort and maximum consistency.
2015-04-21
7,452 reads
One of the most certain ways of going wrong with any relational database is to get data conversion wrong. Implicit data conversion is a good feature for the expert but can cause a lot of trouble to the unwary. These boil down to seven ways of failing to get data conversion right. Rob Sheldon explains and gives sage advice on how to avoid the problems.
2015-04-20
7,337 reads
The job of a DBA requires a fusion of skill and knowledge. To acquire this requires a craftsman mindset. Craftsmen find that the better they get at the work, the more enjoyable the work gets, and the more successful they become. Deliberate practice, Specialization and an appetite for overcoming difficulty are good habits to deliberately adopt to successfully grow those craftsmanlike skills to the point that you become “so good they can’t ignore you”.
2015-04-17
9,586 reads
By Brian Kelley
I am guilty as charged. The quote was in reference to how people argue...
By Steve Jones
Learn how to tie a bowline knot. Practice in the dark. With one hand....
By HeyMo0sh
As a DevOps practitioner, I’ve always focused on performance, scalability, and automation. But as...
Hi, I have a SQL Server instance where users connect to via Windows Authentication,...
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Multiple Deployment Processes
Comments posted to this topic are about the item How to Use sqlpackage to...
I have a query from a former DBA that we run on SQL Server 2025 to check on database metadata. This query references sys.sysaltfiles. I want to refactor this code to be more modern. Which DMV should I reference instead?
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