Easy SSIS Package Compare
I’ve been asking for a way to compare SSIS packages for a long time, and finally Redgate has released an early access version. Years ago we had an internal...
2021-04-01
111 reads
Azure SQL – Saving Costs
When moving to a cloud model for your database stack no doubt you will be involved in a costing exercise. The good news is if you have Software Assurance...
2021-04-01
35 reads
Easy SSIS Package Compare
I’ve been asking for a way to compare SSIS packages for a long time, and finally Redgate has released an early access version. Years ago we had an internal version, but the visual comparison format was a problem. Really, we couldn’t decide how to actually compare packages on screen in a way that makes sense for users.
2021-04-01
918 reads
Serverless Azure SQL DB can show incorrect data space usage in the Portal
A quick PSA on the behaviour of Serverless Azure SQL DB space reporting in the Azure Portal. I recently had to shrink a large Azure SQL DB for cost...
2021-03-31
36 reads
SQL Agent Jobs – When Success is Failure
Have you ever run across an issue that made you take a step back and scratch your head? Recently, I had this exact situation hit my Inbox. One of...
2021-03-31
448 reads
Zeroing out a transaction log file does not use zeroes
I’ve been doing SQLskills training recently, and Paul Randal (blog | Twitter) reminded our class that zeroing out a transaction log file does not use zeroes (0x00). Well, not...
2021-03-31
45 reads
Daily Coping 31 Mar 2021
I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m...
2021-03-31
15 reads
Generate a Random Number for Each Row in a Query {a better way}
A couple of years ago I wrote a post on how to generate a random number in SQL Server. https://sqlundercover.com/2017/06/22/generating-random-numbers-for-each-row-over-a-specified-range-and-other-funky-stuff-you-can-do-with-them/ It’s ok and it works, it’s also a method...
2021-03-31
4,847 reads
WordPress.com Design Update for a More Intuitive Experience
As technology products grow, it’s important to evolve. We’ve updated WordPress.com’s interface to make it more coherent and logical, allowing everyone to use it more intuitively.
2021-03-30
14 reads
Daily Coping 30 Mar 2021
I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m...
2021-03-30
69 reads
Blogs
Narrow Task Decomposition in AI Pipeline Agents
A nightly load into sales_fact fails. Ask an orchestrating agent to break down the...
Car Update: August 2026
By Steve Jones
It’s been some time since I provided a car update, so I decided to...
Microsoft Fabric OneLake Shortcuts: When to Use Them and When Not To
By James Serra
An architecture scenario Imagine separate Sales, Finance, Shared Data, and Executive Analytics workspaces. Sales...
Forums
Backing Up a DMK
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Backing Up a DMK
The Quiet Part
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Quiet Part
BIT_COUNT in SQL Server
Comments posted to this topic are about the item BIT_COUNT in SQL Server
Question of the Day
Backing Up a DMK
In SQL Server 2025, I have a database with a Database Masker Key (DMK). I want to back up this key and keep a copy offline. When do I have to open this key before running the backup?
See possible answers