SQL Azure TSQL
SQL Azure is very similar to traditional SQL Server and now supports many standard TSQL commands. This article demonstrates the use of TSQL commands to create SQL Azure objects.
2009-11-12
3,874 reads
Additional Articles
Best Practices – When Using FILESTREAM Feature of SQL Server 2008
In SQL Server 2008 one can store BLOBs (e.g. Images, video, Word, Excel, PDF, MP3, etc) in the NTFS file system rather than in a database file. This can be done by using the new FILESTREAM feature which was introduced in SQL Server 2008. In this tip we will take a look at some of the best practices which a database administrator can follow to get the best performance when using the FILESTREAM feature of SQL Server 2008.
2009-11-11
4,240 reads
Writing Custom Rules for FxCop
FxCop is a useful tool for analyzing code to highlight potential issues and deviations from best practise. To fully utilize to power of FxCop, custom rules can be added to the inbuilt rules that ship with FxCop.
2009-11-10
1,639 reads
What a Data Warehouse is Not
Recently, I was at a conference, and I heard the following discussion about what a data warehouse was. One person suggested that a data warehouse was really all the old legacy systems connected by software that could access the data. By calling such a contraption a data warehouse, the organization could avoid having to do the hard and complex work of integration. There are so many problems with this federated approach to a data warehouse that they are almost not worth repeating here. But (once again!) here goes.
2009-11-09
6,637 reads
Troubleshooting Reporting Services Performance Issues
The conclusion of our coverage of the Reporting Services component available in SQL Server 2005 Express Edition discusses systematizing the troubleshooting approach by focusing specifically on performance problems (as opposed to those impacting functionality).
2009-11-06
2,804 reads
Using T-SQL CROSS APPLY and OUTER APPLY
That said, even though my personal focus is pretty much OO, I still miss stuff. SQL Server 2005 came out with the CROSS APPLY and OUTER APPLY operators and I have just started learning how to use APPLY in the last month or so. When I think I have it figured out, I am fortunate enough that some of you are interested in reading about my understanding of the technology.
2009-11-06
7,434 reads
SQL Server Unique Constraints for Large Text Columns
We are storing large text and URLs that are over 900 bytes in some of our tables and have a requirement to enforce uniqueness in those columns. But SQL Server has a limitation that index size can't be over 900 bytes. How do I enforce uniqueness in these columns and is it possible to achieve this in SQL Server 2005 and above? What are my different options to solve this problem? I heard that we can use CHECKSUM to create a hash, but is it possible to avoid collisions in the hash value as we are storing millions of rows?
2009-11-05
3,006 reads
Tuning SQL Server 2005 Integration Services for EBCDIC Data Conversion
Loading EBCDIC data into SQL Server is not a well documented process - this article provides a very useful guide to optimizing the performance of this operation.
2009-11-05
2,019 reads
T-SQL Best Practices – Don’t Use Scalar Value Functions in Column List or WHERE Clauses
Query performance can be affected by many different factors. This article introduces another best practice of how and how not to use a function within your T-SQL statements.
2009-11-04
8,725 reads
Updating a Database from WinForms Controls, Old School
Of all of the reader email I get, just these two things alone reminded me that of course I don't know everything, and many of you are working at a widening level of experience. To that end, this article is an old school article that shows new-to-WinForms programmers how to read data from controls and contrive SQL that updates a database.
2009-11-04
2,572 reads
Blogs
Claude finds two cryptographic weaknesses (but the sky isn’t falling)
By Brian Kelley
If you haven't seen the announcement, Anthropic was able to utilize Claude (Mythos Preview)...
Generate Embeddings in SQL with Aurora and Bedrock
Most embedding pipelines on AWS have the same shape: a job reads rows out...
Resolving SQL Server Transaction Log Issues Efficiently
By Arun Sirpal
Transaction log issues are one of the quietest ways a healthy database turns into...
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The “Successful Login” Dilemma: Why Your Login Auditing Strategy Might Be Hurting Your Server
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Building Your Own Software
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Question of the Day
Symmetric Key Encryption
If I run this statement in SQL Server 2025, how is the password encrypted?
CREATE SYMMETRIC KEY MySymmetricKey WITH ALGORITHM = AES_256, KEY_SOURCE = 'My secret key source passphrase', IDENTITY_VALUE = 'My secret identity value' ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = 'S&perS#cretP@ssword7'; GOSee possible answers