IDENTITY vs SEQUENCE in SQL Server – which should you use?
This guide explains how IDENTITY columns and SEQUENCE objects differ in SQL Server, and how you might decide which one is appropriate for a given design.
2026-04-03
Additional Articles
How to migrate from on-prem to the cloud: uncovering legacy system ‘skeletons’
In this article, Pat Wright explains how to identify hidden risks in legacy applications before moving to the cloud. It features practical advice and guidance to avoid migration failures and surprises.
2026-04-01
SQL Server Data Warehouse Concepts, Schema Design, and Implementation
Companies generate a huge amount of data on a daily basis from such things as sales transactions, inventory changes, and customer interactions. This data originates from different data sources and is stored in operational databases called OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) systems that primary focuses on transactions like data inserts, updates or deletes. Maintaining the transactional data in an OLTP database is important. However, if you need to analyze or report on the data, storing the data in a centralized repository in well-structured schema is necessary.
2026-03-30
What’s New in SSIS 2025?
There’s a new version of SQL Server released and we’re mainly an on-premises SQL Server shop. We’ve been using Integration Services (SSIS) for years now for all our ETL and data integration needs. With Microsoft’s focus on cloud (Azure and Fabric), does it make sense to upgrade our SSIS packages? Are there any new features?
2026-03-27
What are database keys? A practical guide
There’s not much to database keys, right? When you build a new table, you add a column to act as the primary key, then set it to auto-generate. Done. That’s all there is to know…right?
2026-03-25
SQL Server Concurrency Issues with Parallel Query Plans
Parallelism can reduce concurrency. This is a strong reason not to allow SQL Server to execute queries aggressively in parallel mode. In this tip, I will set up a demo to show that parallelism reduces query performance on a server with high concurrency.
2026-03-23
Why disabling the SQL Server sa account still matters in 2026
Every few years, someone asks a familiar question: do we really still need to disable the sa account in SQL Server? After all, it’s 2026. SQL Server has better encryption, better auditing, better defaults, and more security features than ever before. Surely this old guidance belongs in the past?
2026-03-20
Query Hint Recommendation Tool in SSMS 22
SQL Server Management Studio keeps adding features, but unless you look you probably don’t notice. In this article, we look at the new Query Hint Recommendation Tool in SSMS 2022 and how this can be used.
2026-03-18
I’m Not Gonna Waste Time Debunking Crap on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is full of absolute trash these days. Just flat out b****** garbage. (Oh yeah, that – this post should probably come with a language disclaimer, because this stuff makes me mad.)
2026-03-16
What’s New in SSMS 22
SSMS 22 has several new features. Is there a compilation list of the new features? How will these features help me as a SQL Server professional?
2026-03-13
Blogs
EightKB 2026 – Schedule and Registration
Hello Hello, We. Are. Back! The schedule for EightKB 2026 Edition has been announced!...
Killing Explicit Sort Steps in Redshift with the Right SORTKEY
You paste a slow Redshift query plan into PlanTrace and one of the tuning...
AI Experiments: Parsing Payment Memos
By Steve Jones
As part of my running the SQL Saturday charitable foundation, I get sponsorship money...
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Displaying Money
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The Slow Growing Problems
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Calculating the Harmonic Mean in Power BI
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Question of the Day
Displaying Money
I want to get the currency sign displayed with my amount stored in a money type. Does this work?
DECLARE @Amount MONEY; SET @Amount = '?1500'; SELECT CAST( @Amount AS VARCHAR(30)) AS EurosSee possible answers