Query Tuning and Easy Solutions
TLDR: There ain’t one. I was privileged last week to be able to present a couple of sessions at the SQL Server and Azure SQL Conference (great event, I...
2022-04-18 (first published: 2022-04-11)
612 reads
The Scary DBA
Two Years of “Good Morning!”
Two years ago at the start of the pandemic, I wasn’t feeling great about things. I saw that quite a few others weren’t all that thrilled about how things...
2022-04-04
48 reads
Execution Plan Properties
I’ve watched several people recently go straight to XML when reading execution plans because they didn’t know about the execution plan properties in the first operator. Now, don’t get...
2022-03-14
42 reads
Query Plans in Azure Data Studio
I have long been a fan of Azure Data Studio, but one shortcoming has kept me from truly adopting it: Query Plans in Azure Data Studio. Sure, there was...
2022-03-21 (first published: 2022-03-07)
374 reads
Database Fundamentals #31: Unique Constraints from the GUI
In the last few Fundamentals posts you were introduced to a couple of ways to limit and control the data stored in the tables in your database. A primary...
2022-02-28
28 reads
Azure Data Studio Intellisense
I recently saw a question about the Azure Data Studio Intellisense: “Why won’t intellisense in Azure Data Studio work with different schemas?” Immediately I thought, “Wait, it does.” But,...
2022-02-22
70 reads
Extended Events Session Properties
I like Extended Events and I regularly use the Session Properties window to create and explore sessions. I’m in the window all the time, noting it’s quirks & odd...
2022-03-02 (first published: 2022-02-15)
228 reads
SQL Server, PostgreSQL and the Future
This is just a quick note to talk about the future, mine, yours and this blog. First, I’m not abandoning SQL Server. I’m actively working on a revision of...
2022-02-09
70 reads
Query Your Statistics: dm_db_stats_properties
We’ve always been able to look at statistics with DBCC SHOW_STATISTICS. You can even tell SHOW_STATISTICS to only give you the properties, STAT_HEADER, or histogram, HISTOGRAM. However, it’s always...
2022-02-21 (first published: 2022-02-07)
448 reads
PostgreSQL Restore in Azure
I recently wrote an article about PostgreSQL restores (and by extension, backups) over on Simple-Talk. The restore process within PostgreSQL, without 3rd party involvement, can be a little tricky....
2022-02-14 (first published: 2022-02-03)
141 reads
Blogs
How to Clear the SSMS Cache (SSMS 21 and Later)
By SQLPals
How to Clear the SSMS Cache (SSMS 21 and Later) Updated...
The flight recorder: Replaying what an AI agent did on my SQL Server
By Arun Sirpal
“What exactly did it do on my server?” is the first question a DBA...
Announcements from the Microsoft Fabric Community Conference — Barcelona 2026
By James Serra
Microsoft shared a broad set of Fabric, Power BI, and SQL updates at FabCon...
Forums
Let's Talk Certifications
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Let's Talk Certifications
The Hidden Security Risks of Role Combination in SSAS Tabular
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Hidden Security Risks of...
The Empty Aggregate
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Empty Aggregate
Question of the Day
The Empty Aggregate
I have this table in a SQL Server 2025 database:
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[CustomerOrder] ( [OrderID] [int] NULL, [CustomerID] [int] NULL, [total] [money] NULL ) ON [PRIMARY] GOWhat is returned from this code? (answers are for the sum and then the count)
SELECT SUM(total) AS sum,
COUNT(total) AS count
FROM dbo.CustomerOrder;
See possible answers