Deploying Databases to the Azure Cloud: an extended plea
Is there a sound technical reason why SQL Azure can't support extended properties?
2013-02-25
204 reads
Tony Davis
- Interests: football, modern literature, real ale
Are Triggers a "Legacy" Feature?
It is late evening. Something is wrong with a database. You narrow down the possibilities, getting more frustrated and puzzled. Stay calm. Check the inputs systematically. No! The data going into that table is right, but when you then read it in the table, it's wrong. Why did I stop believing in the supernatural? Then it hits you. Every time it comes as a surprise. They're using triggers. (This editorial was originally published on Nov 10, 2008)
2013-02-19 (first published: 2008-11-10)
652 reads
DBA Hypochondria
It is easy to become overwhelmed by server symptoms (aka metrics), in the forlorn hope that the more we collect, the clearer a picture we'll assemble of what ails the server. We should, of course, be looking at the whole patient.
2013-02-04
153 reads
Password Insecurities
Tony Davis argues that the Standards and best practices exist to avoid being hacked, but implementing them requires time and investment and often there simply doesn't seem to be the will to do it.
2012-11-26
145 reads
Fragmentation Fear
Index fragmentation can certainly cause performance problems, but should it really dictate the way we design our clustered indexes?
2012-10-01
414 reads
Replace existing Database? JFDI!
Tony Davis argues that the WITH REPLACE option of the RESTORE DATABASE command is a case where the naming of the option masks its true "JFDI" nature…
2012-04-02
169 reads
Data Compression Double Take
A lot has been written about the potential performance benefits of SQL Server data compression; but hard performance data? Not so much.
2012-03-05
267,356 reads
Data Compression Double Take
A lot has been written about the potential performance benefits of SQL Server data compression; but hard performance data? Not so much.
2012-03-01
372 reads
Gold in the Execution Plan hills
There's more information hidden behind those graphical plans than you might first suspect.
2011-10-31
241 reads
Where are all the MVBs?
Whereas there are plenty of experts prepared to help with the technology, few seem to come forward when the struggle is against the bureaucracy rather than a recalcitrant server. Where are all the SQL MVBs (Masters at Vanquishing Bureaucracy) when you need them!?
2011-09-26
149 reads
Blogs
How to Clear the SSMS Cache (SSMS 21 and Later)
By SQLPals
How to Clear the SSMS Cache (SSMS 21 and Later) Updated...
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...
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