Extended Events: Avoid the XML
One story I hear over and over goes like this: I tried setting up Extended Events, but then I saw the output was XML so I stopped. Look, I...
2021-04-08 (first published: 2021-03-29)
369 reads
The Scary DBA
Query Store as an Upgrade Tool
There are a lot of uses for Query Store, but one of the most interesting is as an upgrade tool. We all know that upgrades in SQL Server can...
2021-03-29 (first published: 2021-03-22)
314 reads
Apologies
Hello all! I wanted to apologize to you. I haven’t been keeping up with the blog well at all over the last couple of months. I have simply been...
2021-03-15
30 reads
Learning A Little Oracle
As part of my job, I’ve been tasked with doing some of my work in Oracle, so I’m learning Oracle. Allow me to share a little of my pain...
2021-02-19 (first published: 2021-02-15)
335 reads
SELECT * Hurts Performance, Badly
Quite a few years ago, I wrote a post about SELECT * and performance. That post had a bit of a click-bait title (freely admitted). I wrote the post...
2021-02-01 (first published: 2021-01-25)
696 reads
Getting Started Reading Execution Plans: Highest Cost Operator
Reading execution plans in SQL Server is just hard. There’s a lot to learn and understand. I previously outlined the basics I use to get started when I’m looking...
2020-12-22 (first published: 2020-12-14)
662 reads
Why Aren’t You Automating Database Deployments?
Building out processes and mechanisms for automated code deployments and testing can be quite a lot of work and isn’t easy. Now, try the same thing with data, and...
2020-12-03 (first published: 2020-11-23)
524 reads
The Learning Curve for DevOps
If you’re attempting to implement automation in and around your deployments, you’re going to find there is quite a steep learning curve for DevOps and DevOps-style implementations. Since adopting...
2020-11-25 (first published: 2020-11-16)
273 reads
Database Fundamentals #29: Create Foreign Keys With Table Designer
The purpose of a foreign key is to ensure data integrity by making sure that data added to a child table actually exists in the parent table and preventing...
2020-11-09 (first published: 2020-11-02)
262 reads
Most Costly Statement in a Stored Procedure
A lot of stored procedures have multiple statements and determining the most costly statement in a given proc is a very common task. After all, you want to focus...
2020-10-19 (first published: 2020-10-12)
892 reads
Blogs
Claude Code Helps Analyze Test Data Manager Log Files
By Steve Jones
I had a customer ask about analyzing their Test Data Manager (TDM) usage to...
PowerPoint to HTML with Claude AI
By Steve Jones
I had an idea for an animated view of a sales tool, and started...
Don’t Miss Out – SQL Server Query Tuning Fundamentals Starts Next Monday!
Next Monday, February 9, 2026, my one-day live online training SQL Server Query Tuning...
Forums
Why the following cmds in sequence do not work
I need to delete rows from both the temporal main and history tables. The...
When SQL Server Central Went Down
Comments posted to this topic are about the item When SQL Server Central Went...
The String Distance I
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The String Distance I
Question of the Day
The String Distance I
In SQL Server 2025, what is returned by this code:
SELECT EDIT_DISTANCE('tim', 'tom')
Assume preview features are enabled. See possible answers