Data Visualizations for Excel Multi-Chart Sets with SQL Server Data
This article covers how to create multi-chart visualizations in Excel using data from SQL Server.
2022-09-09
Additional Articles
Rollbacks, Undos and Undonts
Rollback scripts are designed to allow us to recover safely from a failed deployment that leaves the database in an indeterminate state. They must check exactly what needs to be reverted before doing so. If you work with an RDBMS that cannot support transaction DDL rollback they are vital. This article proposes a strategy where you create and test a rollback file, at the same time as the forward migration, and reuse it as a Flyway undo script.
2022-09-09
How to Expand a Range of Dates into Rows with the SQL Server Function GENERATE_SERIES
In this tip, we cover how to use the GENERATE_SERIES function to expand a range of dates into rows
2022-09-07
Introducing the MySQL SELECT statement
Use SELECT statements to query a MySQL database. In this article, Robert Sheldon explains how.
2022-09-07
Managing Datasets for Database Development Work using Flyway
A generic way of exporting, deleting and loading data, for database development work. It uses Flyway Teams, a PowerShell framework, JSON files for storage and a table manifest to define the correct order of dependency for each task. It should help a team maintain datasets between database versions, as well as to switch between the datasets required to support different types of testing.
2022-09-05
Metadata Functions in SQL Server and Their Use Cases
Learn about various SQL Server system functions to return meta data from SQL Server such as SERVERPROPERTY, DATABASEPROPERTYEX, DB_NAME, DB_ID, FILE_NAME, FILE_ID, FILE_IDEX, SCHEMA_NAME, SCHEMA_ID, OBJECT_NAME, OBJECT_ID and STATS_DATE.
2022-09-05
SQL WAITFOR Command to Delay SQL Code Execution
In this article, we look at the SQL Server WAITFOR command to allow delays in processing either for a specified time or a set amount of time.
2022-09-02
The Uses of Dependency Information in Database Development
Dependency information will allow you to avoid errors during a database build or tear-down, by ensuring you create or remove objects in the right order. It will also help you to avoid future 'invalid object' errors, because it will allow you to check that no database alterations have introduced broken references, during Flyway migrations.
2022-09-02
Estimated and Actual Plans Can Have Different Shapes.
Hi Brent, What is your take on Hugo Kornelis’s explanation of execution plan naming. As her his explanation, estimated exec plan is simply an execution plan whereas actual execution plan = execution plan+run-time stats. Do you agree that the naming is flawed and confusing? – Yourbiggestfan
2022-08-31
How to use fn_builtin_permissions SQL Server Security Function
Learn how to find all securable objects in SQL Server and the permissions for each securable object using the system function fn_builtin_permissions.
2022-08-31
Blogs
Advice I Like: Knots
By Steve Jones
Learn how to tie a bowline knot. Practice in the dark. With one hand....
Shifting Mindsets: Why FinOps is Essential for Cloud Efficiency
By HeyMo0sh
As a DevOps practitioner, I’ve always focused on performance, scalability, and automation. But as...
March 2026 SQL Server Security Updates
By Brian Kelley
On Patch Tuesday, in addition to OS and Office security patches, Microsoft also released...
Forums
Multiple Deployment Processes
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Multiple Deployment Processes
How to Use sqlpackage to Detect Schema Drift Between Azure SQL Databases
Comments posted to this topic are about the item How to Use sqlpackage to...
Upgrading Admin Queries
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Upgrading Admin Queries
Question of the Day
Upgrading Admin Queries
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?
See possible answers