Redundant Redundancy
When DBAs too often find themselves trading sleep for Megabytes, it's time for a different approach to detection and alerting of disk space problems. So argues Rodney Landrum.
2014-01-20
141 reads
DEF CON SQL
An impromptu hacking session, in response to an inexplicably-changed password, reminds Rodney Landrum of some valuable lessons for every DBA.
2013-08-05
139 reads
DBAs and the Fear of Time Off
Rodney Landrum on why many DBAs find it hard to ask for, and take, their due DBAcations.
2013-05-27
315 reads
To Specialize or Not to Specialize: that is the $132,000 Question
In a guest editorial, Rodney Landrum reflects on his career path as a an information-hungry generalist.
2012-05-28
310 reads
SQL Server 2012: Creative Thinking for a Creative New Licensing Model
It seems inevitable that many customers will end up paying more to get the same features they have today, under the new SQL Server licencing model, unless they respond to Microsoft's creativity with some of their own.
2012-02-06
266 reads
A Cast of Thousands
In a guest editorial, Rodney Landrum offers a light-hearted guide to role of each member of the cast in a typical SQL code deployment.
2011-08-01
163 reads
If you could stop working tomorrow, would you still do SQL?
Rodney landrum wonders what, if anything, you would do in SQL, or any other beloved technology, if you did not have to?
2011-03-21
251 reads
Life Without a Net
Today we have a guest editorial from Rodney Landrum that talks about life in the past, when we couldn't look up everything on the Internet.
2010-11-02
242 reads
Hunting and Gathering
A guest editorial from Rodney Landrum looks at how we get advice from others in the wild, wild world of the Internet.
2010-03-26
164 reads
Slipping out of the DBA trenches
Today we have a guest editorial from Rodney Landrum who wonders how DBA Managers, removed from the front lines, can keep up to date and retain their edge. Is it inevitable that, slowly but inexorably, they will feel the 'blunting of the blade'?
2010-01-05
176 reads
Blogs
The flight recorder: Replaying what an AI agent did on my SQL Server
By Arun Sirpal
“What exactly did it do on my server?” is the first question a DBA...
Announcements from the Microsoft Fabric Community Conference — Barcelona 2026
By James Serra
Microsoft shared a broad set of Fabric, Power BI, and SQL updates at FabCon...
Au Revoir for now
By Steve Jones
No, I’m not quitting or retiring. Just going on vacation, but I leave tonight...
Forums
Let's Talk Certifications
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Let's Talk Certifications
The Hidden Security Risks of Role Combination in SSAS Tabular
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Hidden Security Risks of...
The Empty Aggregate
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Empty Aggregate
Question of the Day
The Empty Aggregate
I have this table in a SQL Server 2025 database:
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[CustomerOrder] ( [OrderID] [int] NULL, [CustomerID] [int] NULL, [total] [money] NULL ) ON [PRIMARY] GOWhat is returned from this code? (answers are for the sum and then the count)
SELECT SUM(total) AS sum,
COUNT(total) AS count
FROM dbo.CustomerOrder;
See possible answers