Stairway Series

Stairway to Database DevOps

Stairway to Database DevOps Level 1: Setup a Local Git Repo with Azure DevOps

  • Stairway Step

In this first level of the Stairway to DevOps, you will learn how to get version control set up on your local machine and connect to an Azure DevOps repository.

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2023-10-16 (first published: )

3,125 reads

Stairway to DAX and Power BI

Stairway to DAX and Power BI Level 25: Time Intelligence – Dates Functions: The DAX CLOSINGBALANCE*() Functions

  • Stairway Step

Business Intelligence Architect, Analysis Services Maestro, and author Bill Pearson introduces three similar DAX Time Intelligence functions related to Date: CLOSINGBALANCEMONTH(), CLOSINGBALANCEQUARTER(), and CLOSINGBALANCEYEAR(). He discusses the syntax, uses and operation of each function, and then provides hands-on exposure to it in Power BI.

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2026-04-15 (first published: )

921 reads

Stairway to DAX and Power BI

Level 24: Time Intelligence – Dates Functions: The DAX OPENINGBALANCE*() Functions

  • Stairway Step

Business Intelligence Architect, Analysis Services Maestro, and author Bill Pearson introduces three similar DAX Time Intelligence functions related to Date: OPENINGBALANCEMONTH(), OPENINGBALANCEQUARTER(). and OPENINGBALANCEYEAR(). He discusses the syntax, uses and operation of each function, and then provides hands-on exposure to it in Power BI.

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2026-04-15 (first published: )

1,578 reads

Stairway to DAX and Power BI

Stairway to DAX and Power BI - Level 23: Time Intelligence – Dates Functions: The DAX PREVIOUS() Functions

  • Stairway Step

Business Intelligence Architect, Analysis Services Maestro, and author Bill Pearson introduces four very similar DAX Time Intelligence functions related to Date: PREVIOUSDAY(), PREVIOUSMONTH(). PREVIOUSQUARTER() and PREVIOUSYEAR(). He discusses the syntax, uses and operation of each function, and then provides hands-on exposure to it in Power BI.

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2026-04-15 (first published: )

1,174 reads

Stairway to DAX and Power BI

Stairway to DAX and Power BI - Level 22: Time Intelligence – Dates Functions: The DAX NEXT() Functions

  • Stairway Step

Business Intelligence Architect, Analysis Services Maestro, and author Bill Pearson introduces four very similar DAX Time Intelligence functions related to Date: NEXTDAY(), NEXTMONTH(). NEXTQUARTER() and NEXTYEAR(). He discusses the syntax, uses and operation of each function, and then provides hands-on exposure to it in Power BI.

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2026-04-15 (first published: )

1,325 reads

Stairway to DAX and Power BI

Stairway to DAX and Power BI - Level 21: Time Intelligence – Dates Functions: FIRSTDATE() and LASTDATE()

  • Stairway Step

Business Intelligence Architect, Analysis Services Maestro, and author Bill Pearson introduces two DAX Time Intelligence functions related to the Date: FIRSTDATE(), and LASTDATE(). He discusses the syntax, uses and operation of each function, and then provides hands-on exposure to it in Power BI.

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2026-04-15 (first published: )

5,160 reads

Technical Article

Stairway to SQL Server Automated Database Testing

  • Stairway

Automated testing is a way to ensure you can repeatedly examine your code as you make changes by running a series of tests. Since these are automated, you have the ability to execute all tests with one programmatic call rather than hoping a developer runs all tests. This also allows the effort of writing tests […]

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2023-10-15 (first published: )

1,126 reads

Stairway to DAX and Power BI

Stairway to DAX and Power BI - Level 18: Time Intelligence Dates Functions

  • Stairway Step

Business Intelligence Architect, Analysis Services Maestro, and author Bill Pearson introduces five DAX Time Intelligence functions related to Dates: DATESBETWEEN(), DATESINPERIOD(), DATESMTD(), DATESQTD(), and DATESYTD(). He discusses the syntax, uses and operation of each, and then provides hands-on exposure to the functions in Power BI.

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2026-04-15 (first published: )

2,268 reads

Blogs

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Forums

Implementing Type 4 Slowly Changing Dimensions in SQL Server

By Dinesh Asanka

Comments posted to this topic are about the item Implementing Type 4 Slowly Changing...

The Disabled Index

By Steve Jones - SSC Editor

Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Disabled Index

Server-Level Table sizes

By Artur Sanin

Comments posted to this topic are about the item Server-Level Table sizes

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Question of the Day

The Disabled Index

I run this code on SQL Server 2022.

CREATE TABLE Drink
(
    drinkid INT NOT NULL
        CONSTRAINT DrinkPK PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED,
    drinkname VARCHAR(20),
    rating NUMERIC(2, 1)
)
GO

INSERT INTO Drink
(
    drinkid,
    drinkname,
    rating
)
VALUES
(1, 'Margarita', 4.5),
(2, 'Mojito', 4.3),
(3, 'Old Fashioned', 4.7),
(4, 'Martini', 4.4),
(5, 'Cosmopolitan', 4.2)
GO
ALTER INDEX drinkpk ON dbo.drink DISABLE
GO
SELECT * FROM dbo.Drink
GO
What is the result?

See possible answers