A New Word: Ecstatic Shock
ecstatic shock – n. a surge of energy upon catching a glimpse from someone you like, which scrambles your ungrounded circuits and tempts you to chase after that feeling...
2025-10-03
23 reads
Blog Posts
Solving SQL Server Mysteries with a Whole Gang of Sleuths -Scooby Dooing Episode 4
One thing I’ve always loved about the Scooby-Doo cartoon is that he never solved a mystery alone. Scooby and Shaggy could sniff out a clue between snacks, but it...
2025-10-03 (first published: 2025-09-10)
223 reads
Troubleshooting SQL Server – Starting with the Error Log
We’ve all been there. Someone walks up and asks, “Is SQL Server having issues?” What’s your first move? For me, it starts with the SQL Server Error log. I...
2025-10-03 (first published: 2025-09-11)
525 reads
SELECT *
SELECT * feels convenient, but in SQL Server it bloats I/O, burns network bandwidth, blocks covering-index usage, and makes code brittle when schemas change. Specify only the columns you...
2025-10-02
37 reads
The CDO’s Playbook for AI Driven Decision Making
The New Arena of Leadership The role of the Chief Data Officer is no longer about governance alone. It is about vision. It is about turning data into the...
2025-10-02
15 reads
AI Model Size, Parameters and Download
At SQL Saturday Boston 2025, I gave a presentation on local LLMs and there was a great question that I wasn’t sure about. Someone asked about the download size...
2025-10-01
25 reads
Modify Power BI page visibility and active status with Semantic Link Labs
Setting page visibility and the active page are often overlooked last steps when publishing a Power BI report. It’s easy to forget the active page since it’s just set...
2025-10-01 (first published: 2025-09-09)
169 reads
New AI capabilities in SQL Server 2025
(Side note: Excited to share that the audio version of my book “Deciphering Data Architectures: Choosing Between a Modern Data Warehouse, Data Fabric, Data Lakehouse, and Data Mesh” is...
2025-10-01 (first published: 2025-09-09)
605 reads
SplashFlag - Building an IoT Swimming Notification Device from Scratch
After setting up dozens of Internet of Things (IoT) smart home devices, I started to wonder: how hard could it be to build one from scratch?
I needed a project...
2025-10-01
15 reads
Expanding Your DBA Horizons: Installing PostgreSQL in a Home Lab
Are you diversifying your DBA skillset? My recent job search made one thing clear: the database landscape is broader than just SQL Server and Oracle. More and more companies...
2025-09-30
134 reads
Blogs
Why your data still can’t answer a simple question
Every organization I talk to has the same problem dressed up in different clothes....
T-SQL Tuesday #197 Invitation – An impactful session or two from a conference
By DataOnWheels
I am delighted to host this month’s T-SQL Tuesday invitation. If you are new...
Did You Really Name That Default?
By alevyinroc
Ten years (and a couple jobs) ago, I wrote about naming default constraints to...
Forums
The day-to-day pressures of a DBA team, and how we can work smarter with automation and AI
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The day-to-day pressures of a...
The Problem Isn't Always Your Query or Schema... Sometimes It's Hidden Assumptions
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Problem Isn't Always Your...
Identity Defaults
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Identity Defaults
Question of the Day
Identity Defaults
What happens when I run this code?
CREATE TABLE dbo.IdentityTest
(
id int IDENTITY(10) PRIMARY KEY,
somevalue VARCHAR(20)
)
GO
See possible answers