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SQL Server JOIN Hints

You, as a SQL Server data professional, are looking for ways to improve your queries. You've done the usual - avoided cursors and loops, used locks effectively, examined execution plans - what else can you tweak? Check out this tip to learn more.

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New Custom Metric: Long Running Job

SQL Monitor’s Job duration unusual alert is a powerful tool for keeping track of most jobs in your SQL Server environment. It works by comparing the running time of any job instance against the median for that job, and identifying when a variation in the job duration could hint at a performance problem. However, if your environment contains big jobs whose durations vary by several orders of magnitudes, it can be tricky to specify what kind of variation is expected and what would be unusual. For these cases, it is possible to go beyond the functionality of the built-in alert with a custom metric.

SQLServerCentral Editorial

Data Darwinism

Data could be the way that more decisions are made, separating the competent from the incompetent in the future. Steve Jones isn't sure this is the best way to make decisions if we don't include a human element in the decision process.

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Independence Day 2026

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Question of the Day

Independence Day 2026

In the original Independence Day movie (1996), what type of computer did Jeff Goldblum use to connect to the alien mainframe? Take a guess, don't look it up or ask AI.

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