Microsoft MVP 2025: Continuing the Data Platform Journey
I am honored to announce that I have been renewed as a Microsoft MVP for the ninth consecutive year, recognized in the Azure SQL and SQL Server technical areas...
2025-07-11
3 reads
Anthony Nocentino Blog
Build a Snapshot Backup Catalog in Pure Storage with SQL Server 2025’s Native REST API
I’m really excited to share some new functionality in SQL Server 2025 combined with some innovations in FlashArray’s REST API.
In this post, I’m going to show you how to...
2025-06-27
105 reads
Monitoring SQL Server Performance with the Pure Storage FlashArray OpenMetrics Exporter
I’m excited to share a new open-source project I’ve been working on that combines two of my favorite areas: SQL Server and Pure Storage FlashArray performance monitoring. If you’ve...
2025-06-26
32 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
57 reads
T-SQL REST API Integration in SQL Server 2025: Streamlining T-SQL Snapshot Backups
In this post, I’ll walk you through a T-SQL script that creates application-consistent snapshots on Pure Storage FlashArray, all from within SQL Server, no external tooling. SQL Server 2025...
2025-06-02 (first published: 2025-05-19)
620 reads
Getting Started with Vector Search in SQL Server 2025 Using Ollama
Ollama SQL FastStart streamlines the deployment of SQL Server 2025 with integrated AI capabilities through a comprehensive Docker-based solution. This project delivers a production-ready environment combining SQL Server 2025,...
2025-06-16 (first published: 2025-05-19)
800 reads
Getting Started with Vector Search in SQL Server 2025 Using Ollama
Ollama SQL FastStart streamlines the deployment of SQL Server 2025 with integrated AI capabilities through a comprehensive Docker-based solution. This project delivers a production-ready environment combining SQL Server 2025,...
2025-05-19
32 reads
SQL Server 2025: Enterprise AI Without the Learning Curve
With the release of SQL Server 2025, Microsoft is firmly positioning its flagship database platform as an enterprise-ready AI solution. Having spent time with the preview builds and working...
2025-06-09 (first published: 2025-05-19)
529 reads
Using a Local Large Language Model (LLM): Interacting with Local LLMs Using PowerShell
As AI continues to evolve, many of us are looking for ways to leverage large language models (LLMs) without relying on cloud services. As we learned in my previous...
2025-05-07 (first published: 2025-04-22)
561 reads
Using a Local Large Language Model (LLM): Running Ollama on Your Laptop
You can now run powerful LLMs like Llama 3.1 directly on your laptop using Ollama. There is no cloud, and there is no cost. Just install, pull a model,...
2025-05-02 (first published: 2025-04-17)
415 reads
Blogs
2025 Wrapped for Steve
By Steve Jones
I’ve often done some analysis of my year in different ways. Last year I...
The Book of Redgate: Spread across the world
By Steve Jones
This was Redgate in 2010, spread across the globe. First the EU/US Here’s Asia...
Merry Christmas
By John
Today is Christmas and while I do not expect anybody to actual be reading...
Forums
Database security permissions save script
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Database security permissions save script
Database backup job steps
I have a SQL Agent job for backing up a set of Analysis Services...
SQL Server 2025 Backup Compression Algorithm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Server 2025 Backup Compression...
Question of the Day
The Large Encoded Value
I want to use the new BASE64_ENCODE() function in SQL Server 2025, but return a string that isn't large type. What is the longest varbinary string I can pass in and still get a varchar(8000) returned?
See possible answers