How does the buffer pool work?
Today we’ll begin taking a look at the buffer pool in SQL Server and how it’s normally used. Before we...
2019-01-23
198 reads
Born SQL with Randolph West
Database modelling in a post-SSMS world: dbForge Studio
A few months ago, Microsoft announced that SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) will no longer include the visual Database Diagrams...
2019-01-16
230 reads
Back to the future
It’s January 2019 as I write this. I realized that I started on my journey with SQL Server in 1998,...
2019-01-09
230 reads
AzCopy finally gets a sync option, and all the world rejoices
I consider Blob Storage to be the gateway drug to Azure, because it’s a really easy way to get going...
2019-01-02
243 reads
Giving thanks in 2018
It’s the last post of 2018, and in years past I’ve recapped the year that has just been. This is...
2018-12-26
194 reads
Infrastructure matters, even in the Cloud
I am still amused by terminology in the Information Technology field. Words like “Kubernetes,” “containers,” and the BASIC keywords PEEK...
2018-12-19
279 reads
Some databases may show a NULL collation in the sys.databases DMV
While working on my Swart’s Ten Percent Rule post last week, I needed to test the Windows version of the...
2018-12-12
225 reads
Flagrantly ignoring the 10% rule
My friend Michael J. Swart has a rule of thumb he calls Swart’s Ten Percent Rule. If you’re using over...
2018-12-05
216 reads
Price increase for Azure in Canadian dollars
On 1 December 2018, Microsoft is increasing Azure subscription prices in Canadian dollars by 5%. The following is taken directly...
2018-11-28
238 reads
Dates and Times in SQL Server: DATEDIFF() and DATEDIFF_BIG()
Last time we looked at adding or subtracting date parts using the DATEADD() T-SQL system function. This week we see...
2018-11-21
377 reads
Blogs
Shifting Mindsets: Why FinOps is Essential for Cloud Efficiency
By HeyMo0sh
As a DevOps practitioner, I’ve always focused on performance, scalability, and automation. But as...
March 2026 SQL Server Security Updates
By Brian Kelley
On Patch Tuesday, in addition to OS and Office security patches, Microsoft also released...
How Fabric Mirroring Transformed with SQL Server 2025
When mirroring was first released for Azure SQL Database, it used Change Data Capture...
Forums
Multiple Deployment Processes
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How to Use sqlpackage to Detect Schema Drift Between Azure SQL Databases
Comments posted to this topic are about the item How to Use sqlpackage to...
Upgrading Admin Queries
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Upgrading Admin Queries
Question of the Day
Upgrading Admin Queries
I have a query from a former DBA that we run on SQL Server 2025 to check on database metadata. This query references sys.sysaltfiles. I want to refactor this code to be more modern. Which DMV should I reference instead?
See possible answers