How Helpful is a GenAI Copilot
Steve looks at a trial using Microsoft's Copilot and how helpful it was for workers.
2025-05-07
157 reads
Uncategorized
Just Answer the Question!
I've taken part in online forums since... hoo boy, I was using a dial up modem and had to constantly remind my wife not to pick up the phone while I was using the computer. Man I'm old. Anyway... I've asked a lot of questions over the years, and I've tried to answer them as […]
2025-05-03
96 reads
Modern Streaming Architecture Serverless Pool with Spark Streaming
With the ubiquity of real-time data, organizations need streaming systems that are scalable, easy to use, and easy to integrate into business applications. Structured Streaming is a new high-level streaming API in Apache Spark based on my experience with Spark Streaming. In this article, we show structured streaming data written into Spark Tables and consumed by reporting Analytic for reporting needs.
2025-05-02
989 reads
Life Moves Pretty Fast
Driving my soon-to-be granddaughter to school today (my son is getting married and will adopt the young lady), we saw a dead armadillo, a turtle in the road (rescued it) and an escaped cow (left it alone). THEN... old soon-to-be granddad had forgotten lunch, so had to deliver that back at the school (cow must […]
2025-04-26
62 reads
How to Remove Constraints from a SQL Server Table
I need to drop constraints on a number of my SQL Server tables. Most of our constraints are primary key and foreign keys, but there are other constraints too. How can we script it so it will deploy with a pipeline in a repeatable manner?
2025-04-14
Two Events, Two Worlds: A Week in the Life of a Technologist
Last week, I had the chance to speak at two very different events, and the contrast between them really stuck with me. The first was all a traditional vendor conference- enterprise-level, built around a well-established product with over 40 years of vendor-driven development. Think polished sponsor tables, polished shoes, and more than a few suits […]
2025-04-12
56 reads
Level 5 of the Stairway to Synapse Analytics: create and use Delta Lake - Part 2
This next article in the Stairway to Synapse looks at Delta tables and processing streaming data.
2025-06-06 (first published: 2025-04-09)
809 reads
Navigating Your Test Data Challenges: Insights and Solutions
Join Redgate on May 1st for an insightful webinar cohosted with analyst firm, Bloor Research, featuring independent Senior Analyst Daniel Howard and Redgate's Steve Jones. Discover the biggest test data challenges, the latest approaches like AI synthetic data generation, and how effective test data management can benefit your entire organization. Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain valuable insights and solutions.
2025-04-30 (first published: 2025-04-07)
Windows Clustered MSDTC and SQL Server 2019 mishap
Introduction As you may know, in the early days of SQL Server Clustering, Microsoft advised to provide each clustered SQL Server instance with its own Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MSDTC) resource. Since SQL Server 2012 this advice has been withdrawn. Microsoft now recommends to provide your instance with its own MSDTC resource, once you notice the […]
2025-04-04
2,470 reads
Smile and Wave Boys
I won't even try to hide it. I got a huge kick out of the penguin characters in the animated movie, Madagascar. For those who don't know, they're trying to escape the zoo, but are trying to hide that from anyone discovering it. So, they put up a front, "Smile and wave boys. Smile and […]
2025-03-22
76 reads
Blogs
SQL Bits 2025 Wrap
By Steve Jones
SQL Bits 2025 was amazing, as always. It’s been my favorite conference to attend,...
Get Certified in Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals (DP-900) FAST with NO Experience Needed
By Rohit Garg
As data becomes the backbone of modern business, understanding how to manage and analyze...
Simplify Kubernetes Security With Kyverno and OPA Gatekeeper
Here’s how these tools can make Kubernetes security easier and help you avoid common...
Forums
The Hidden Cost of MAXDOP: CPU Spikes, Query Slowdowns, and What We Learned
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Hidden Cost of MAXDOP:...
The Hidden Cost of MAXDOP: CPU Spikes, Query Slowdowns, and What We Learned
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Hidden Cost of MAXDOP:...
Using Heaps
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Using Heaps
Question of the Day
Using Heaps
When does Microsoft recommend using a heap as a table structure (no clustered index)?
See possible answers