Copilot Outside of SSMS Seems to Work
I read Brent’s first look at SSMS and Copilot in there. He didn’t have a great opinion of the tool, especially comparing it to Gemini or Claude. I haven’t...
2025-05-30
105 reads
Blog Posts
KDA: Echoes of Deception - Case 1
Another KDA case: Digitown’s utility bills suddenly doubled for no good reason. With the election coming up, I got pulled in to figure out what went wrong. I’ve got...
2025-05-30 (first published: 2025-05-02)
203 reads
Why Data Silos Hurt Your Business Performance
Businesses rely on data for decision-making and strategy, but data silos hinder productivity. These silos lead to ineffective decisions from incomplete data, wasted resources through redundant efforts, and missed...
2025-05-30 (first published: 2025-05-12)
414 reads
Deciphering Data Architectures: When to Use a Warehouse, Fabric, Lakehouse, or Mesh
As discussed in my blog and book “Deciphering Data Architectures: Choosing Between a Modern Data Warehouse, Data Fabric, Data Lakehouse, and Data Mesh” (Amazon), organizations are often challenged with...
2025-05-28 (first published: 2025-05-06)
780 reads
SQL Data Type Conversions: Your Key to Clean Data & Sharp Queries
If you're a data analyst juggling varied datasets, mastering SQL data type conversions isn't just handy—it's crucial. Whether you’re making different data types play nice together or boosting query...
2025-05-28 (first published: 2025-05-14)
552 reads
SQL Server Logins vs. Users: Why You Really Need to Know the Difference
The Two-Layer Model Explained “We added them to the database, but they still can’t connect.” Sound familiar? That’s the kind of confusion SQL Server’s two-layer security model creates when...
2025-05-28
109 reads
Using AI to Test a SQL Query
Someone sent me this code. WITH p AS ( SELECT ID, ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY ID ASC) AS RN FROM wp_posts WHERE post_parent = 94341; ) UPDATE p SET...
2025-05-28
150 reads
Your SQL Starting Line: Best Free Databases for Beginners
Wondering which database to tackle first? I’ve got the lowdown on the top free choices for anyone new to SQL, and I’ll tell you exactly why they’re stellar for...
2025-05-28
801 reads
SQL Server 2025: Using ZSTD Compression for SQL Server Backups
SQL Server 2025 introduces a new compression algorithm, ZSTD (Zstandard), which can help with database backup performance. The implementation of ZSTD gives you more control over your backup performance...
2025-05-27
61 reads
Azure Vulnerability Assessments
Regarding managing databases in the cloud, security should never be an afterthought. That’s where Azure Vulnerability Assessments, officially named Microsoft Defender, come in—they help you spot weak spots in...
2025-05-26 (first published: 2025-05-07)
438 reads
Blogs
ISACA AI Material/Exam Prep Discount (May 18 – June 30, 2026)
By Brian Kelley
If you are considering any of the ISACA AI certs like the Advanced Artificial...
A Fabric solution can be very cost effective
By ChrisJenkins
Are you currently using Microsoft Fabric or considering migrating to it? If so, there...
Track SQL Server Configuration Changes Using the Error Log
By SQLPals
Track SQL Server Configuration Changes Using the Error Log If you...
Forums
Before Using AI with Business Data, Read This
Artificial intelligence tools are quickly becoming part of daily business operations, from document analysis...
Designing SQL Server ETL Pipelines That Don't Break at Scale
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Designing SQL Server ETL Pipelines...
Detecting Deadlocks Quickly
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Detecting Deadlocks Quickly
Question of the Day
Detecting Deadlocks Quickly
In the Database Engine, when a deadlock is detected, what does the detection interval shrink to (in time)?
See possible answers