SQL Server Backups: The Basics
If you’re responsible for a SQL Server instance, you need working, consistent backups. Not just a .bak file here and there, but a plan that runs automatically and covers...
2025-08-20
34 reads
Blog Posts
Data Saturday Columbus 2025 Recap
This weekend was one of my favorite Data Saturday events, Data Saturday Columbus! If you’re in the area, I highly recommend it. Always some great speakers, amazing lunch, and...
2025-08-19
19 reads
Empowering Technical Teams: Leading with Vision, Not Micromanagement
Let’s be honest; technical teams don’t thrive under a microscope. They thrive under a mission. In a world where innovation moves at the speed of thought, the difference between...
2025-08-18 (first published: 2025-07-31)
471 reads
Monday Monitor Tips: Searching Procedures
A customer was asking about how to track all the stored procedures that execute on their system. We have a section in Redgate Monitor that’s set to look at...
2025-08-18
21 reads
Resource: Security Auditing for Databases
If you are responsible for securing databases, SQL Servers and others, I would strongly urge you to read the following post by Andreas Wolter, former data security PM for...
2025-08-18 (first published: 2025-07-30)
525 reads
Advice I Like: Naps
Learn how to take a 20-minute power nap without embarassment. – from Excellent Advice for Living I don’t like naps. In fact, I try to avoid them and keep...
2025-08-15
24 reads
Sabbatical 3 Review
I’m back. My last day of work was Jun 27 and I came back a few days ago, on Aug 13. Just over six weeks away and I am...
2025-08-15
18 reads
SQL Server Maintenance Plans
If you’re a DBA, sysadmin, IT manager, or Accidental DBA, you’ve probably seen SQL Server’s built-in Maintenance Plans. They live right there in SSMS under the “Management” node, quietly...
2025-08-15 (first published: 2025-07-30)
440 reads
SQL Server Migration Made Easy: A Complete Guide to Microsoft DMA and Its Successors
Migrating SQL Server databases is a critical task for IT teams aiming to modernize infrastructure, improve performance, or transition to cloud platforms. One of the most widely used tools...
2025-08-15 (first published: 2025-07-30)
355 reads
Getting Started with Microsoft Fabric: Why It Matters and What You Gain
In today’s data-driven world, organizations are constantly seeking ways to simplify their analytics stack, unify fragmented tools, and unlock real-time insights. Enter Microsoft Fabric, a cloud-native, AI-powered data platform...
2025-08-14
204 reads
Blogs
Automatic Index Compaction
By ReviewMyDB
Index maintenance has always meant nightly jobs and a window you have to defend....
The Goldilocks problem – Materialized Views
I’m sure you’ve all heard the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but...
Monday Monitor Tips: Virtual Machine Usage and Cost
By Steve Jones
One of the things I’ve been requesting for a number of years is cost...
Forums
SQL Art, Part 4: Happy 4th of July — A British DBA's Guide to Celebrating a War We Don't Talk About
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Art, Part 4: Happy...
How We Handled a Vendor Retry That Loaded Twice in Snowflake
Comments posted to this topic are about the item How We Handled a Vendor...
Cognitive Coverage
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Cognitive Coverage
Question of the Day
Getting the Average
I have this data in the dbo.Commission table in a SQL Server 2022 database.
salesperson commission Brian 12 Brian 16 Andy 7 Andy 14 Andy 21 Steve 20 Steve NULLAll the data is a varchar, and I decide to run this query to get the totals for each salesperson.
SELECT SalesPerson
, AVG(TRY_PARSE(Commission AS int)) AS TotalCommission
FROM commission
GROUP BY SalesPerson
GO
What average commission is calculated for Steve? See possible answers