More fun with Git: git restore
The setup My day job involves babysitting a lot of Git repositories hosted on GitHub. The vast majority of the commits, merges, and squashes I run on a daily...
2025-12-09
187 reads
Born SQL with Randolph West
Run SQL Server 2025 and SQL Server Management Studio on macOS Tahoe
Short version You want to get this running as fast as possible. Do these four steps, and then check the compatibility section later in this post. Step 1: Install...
2025-11-18
41 reads
macOS Tahoe breaks SQL Server on Docker containers on Apple silicon
The honeymoon is over, and macOS 26 Tahoe broke the Rosetta 2 emulation layer with SQL Server 2025 RC 1 running in a Docker container. I know it was...
2025-10-06
351 reads
Get required permissions for DMVs
Part of my job at work is to update Transact-SQL reference content. System dynamic management views (DMVs) have permissions that are managed in the SQL Server Database Engine source...
2025-09-08 (first published: 2025-08-23)
243 reads
SQL Server Management Studio uses the Visual Studio installer
Yes, SSMS 21 uses the Visual Studio installer. No, you don’t need to download it every time. No, you don’t need a Visual Studio license to use it.
The post...
2025-08-14
21 reads
What’s new in SQL Server 2025 CTP 2.0
Three years ago, when the first public preview of SQL Server 2022 (CTP 2.0) was announced, I was a few months in at the SQL Docs team, and had...
2025-05-23 (first published: 2025-05-19)
565 reads
The hell of Git line endings and the (not so) simple fix
I wrote a stream-of-consciousness post a few months ago about what I do in my day job at Microsoft, working in the Database Docs team. Basically we spend most...
2025-02-19 (first published: 2025-02-12)
340 reads
Don’t run CHKDSK while SQL Server is running
On behalf of every database administrator everywhere, I implore you not to run CHKDSK on a system that has a live database installed and running. This includes, but is...
2024-08-21 (first published: 2024-08-09)
357 reads
How do you restore a SQL Server 2000 database in the year 2024?
A discussion on LinkedIn led to this hypothetical “real world” question: Problem statement: I have a SQL Server 2000 database backup that I need to restore to a supported...
2024-07-05 (first published: 2024-06-20)
381 reads
What I actually do at Microsoft
I started working at Microsoft in January 2022. I enjoy it. I even wrote a stream-of-consciousness post about it last year. A significant part of our job in the...
2024-06-28 (first published: 2024-06-10)
349 reads
Blogs
Monday Monitor Tips: Native Replication Monitoring
By Steve Jones
Redgate Monitor has been able to monitor replication for a long term, but it...
Advice I Like: Art
By Steve Jones
Superheroes and saints never make art. Only imperfect beings can make art because art...
Why Optimize CPU for RDS SQL Server is a game changer
One feature that I have been waiting for years! The new announcement around optimize...
Forums
Think LSNs Are Unique? Think Again - Preventing Data Loss in CDC ETL
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Think LSNs Are Unique? Think...
The AI Bubble and the Weak Foundation Beam
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The AI Bubble and the...
Question of the Day
A Big PK
In SQL Server 2025, how many columns can be included in a Primary Key constraint?
See possible answers