What I actually do at Microsoft
I started working at Microsoft in January 2022. I enjoy it. I even wrote a stream-of-consciousness post about it last year. A significant part of our job in the...
2024-06-28 (first published: 2024-06-10)
353 reads
Randolph West
- Twitter: @_randolph_west
- Website: https://bornsql.ca/blog/
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/rabryst/
I can no longer recommend Liquid Web for hosting
I’ve had a really disappointing experience with the Liquid Web sales team, regarding the web server that hosts this blog post you’re reading right now. My disappointment is compounded...
2024-01-26
43 reads
You should be running on SQL Server 2022
It’s me again with my apparently semi-annual blog post. This time we’re going to talk about which version of SQL Server you should be on, now that we’re at...
2023-12-20 (first published: 2023-12-05)
662 reads
Hello Microsoft Entra ID, good bye Azure Active Directory
A couple of months ago where I work, a major product started undergoing a rebrand. I don’t pretend to understand marketing folks, but a change this big needed to...
2023-12-19
460 reads
I don’t blog anymore, but not because I work at Microsoft
Last year I had a health scare that got my blood pressure at 200-and-something over 100-and-something, soon to be wired up to an IV drip, put through a CT...
2023-09-08
49 reads
Connecting to SQL Server Database Engine, simplified
One of the advantages of being on the Database Docs team at Microsoft is that I get to work with amazing people, which means we can respond quickly to...
2023-09-05
120 reads
On being a woman and a data professional
This is a list of links, in no particular order, that you should read in no particular order. But read all of the words at the end of these...
2023-04-24
149 reads
Patch your SQL Server instance today
On 14 February 2023, Microsoft released updates for all supported versions of SQL Server in the form of a General Distribution Release (GDR). A GDR is an out-of-band update...
2023-02-24 (first published: 2023-02-15)
1,281 reads
Deadline for Microsoft MVP contributions is 20 March 2023
Since changing to the new MVP renewal model, Microsoft MVPs have had until 31 March each year to provide the list of their annual contributions. For 2023, the deadline...
2023-02-20 (first published: 2023-02-01)
143 reads
You can run a SQL Server Docker container on Apple M1 and M2 Silicon
Previously the only way to run SQL Server on Apple Silicon was via QEMU emulation or Colima (hat tip to Anthony Nocentino). Docker released beta support today for Apple’s...
2023-01-25 (first published: 2023-01-12)
198 reads
Blogs
Funny Money: #SQLNewBlogger
By Steve Jones
While wandering around the documentation looking for some Question of the Day topics, I...
Why Database AI Agents need Layers?
By Arun Sirpal
Third part in my Ai series with databases. When building AI solutions within the...
Un-Migrating From the Cloud: T-SQL Tuesday #199
By Steve Jones
This month we have a very interesting invitation from Koen Verbeeck. He has hosted...
Forums
How Do the Experts Become Experts?
Comments posted to this topic are about the item How Do the Experts Become...
Stairway to Reliable Database Deployments Level 4 – Preparing for Production Deployment
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Stairway to Reliable Database Deployments...
Secure Communications
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Secure Communications
Question of the Day
Secure Communications
As of June 2026, what is the best version of TLS to use with SQL Server?
See possible answers