Evil Code
/*
A couple
of years ago, I wrote the Simple-Talk Prettifier. This is really no more than a stored
procedure that...
2009-08-14
3,556 reads
Phil Factor
- Interests: Motorbikes, Beer, gardening, conservation, Local history.
The Joy of Data Modelling.
You may think that the task of teasing out the exact nature
of the data and processes within a company...
2009-08-11
2,495 reads
There's a Lot to Learn From Even Simple Puzzles
Phil reflects on the problem-solving power of SQLServerCentral at its best, and mentions some of the impressive contributions to the Summer SQL Stumpers competition
2009-08-11
432 reads
Advice for the Unemployed
Everyone has an opinion on the best advice to give an IT person who is unemployed and wants to get back into paid work. Phil Factor outlines what he would advise.
2009-07-16
232 reads
Basically Available, Soft State, Eventually Consistent
The use of non-relational databases is a fascinating topic but they will remain special-purpose and are not competing with SQL-based relational databases.
2009-07-13
887 reads
Stress
Developers and DBAs both tend to lead stressful lives. Occasionally, things don't go to plan, and this stress can then build to pretty intolerable levels. Without adaptive methods of dealing with stress, things can go very wrong...
2009-07-02
282 reads
Documenting Database Code: Structured Headers
When you're doing any database development work, it won't be long before you need to seriously consider the documentation of your routines. Should we, as a community, propose a common standard for T-SQL headers, and the information that should go into them?
2009-06-30
496 reads
When the next object-persistence boat comes in.
Phil enjoys an old Microsoft Training manual and wonders why it is no longer possible to encompass the whole of SQL in a 400 page book any more..
2009-06-29
1,933 reads
The secret skill revealed in the dusty booklet
Going through one’s father’s belongings after his death is always a poignant, bitter-sweet experience. I was going through his most precious books a while back; there were books that were written by him, books by friends and relatives, books about friends...
2009-06-26
2,357 reads
When the next object-persistence boat comes in.
I was reading a MCP training manual for SQL Server the other day. It was good. The whole of TSQL...
2009-06-22
1,746 reads
Blogs
Narrow Task Decomposition in AI Pipeline Agents
A nightly load into sales_fact fails. Ask an orchestrating agent to break down the...
Car Update: August 2026
By Steve Jones
It’s been some time since I provided a car update, so I decided to...
Microsoft Fabric OneLake Shortcuts: When to Use Them and When Not To
By James Serra
An architecture scenario Imagine separate Sales, Finance, Shared Data, and Executive Analytics workspaces. Sales...
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Backing Up a DMK
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Question of the Day
Backing Up a DMK
In SQL Server 2025, I have a database with a Database Masker Key (DMK). I want to back up this key and keep a copy offline. When do I have to open this key before running the backup?
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