How to write a custom metric
You can extend SQL Monitor to track whatever you need to watch on your own system with custom metrics. Grant Fritchey shows us how.
Global Insecurities
The various security scans of 2012 reported lots of potential problems in companies. Why don't vendors make it easier for us to install and configure their software securely?
The Java Danger
This week a vulnerability in Java has prompted a large scale notice to the general public.
Developing a SQL Server Backup Strategy
Developing a backup procedure that makes sure you can do restores should be one of your top priorities as a DBA. In this article Greg Larsen discusses some of the concepts to consider when developing, building and testing a backup strategy.
An Introduction to Database Design
An introduction to database design for those people that might not understand what is involved.
The Auditing Poll
Is auditing in use in your applications? Steve Jones wants to know as he thinks it will be more important in the future for most software.
Free eBook: SQL Server Tacklebox
Get a free ebook from Rodney Landrum and Red Gate Software that helps you prepare to deal with the various crisis situations you might encounter with SQL Server.
Using MDX to Calculate Both Values and Percentages for Analysis Services
When creating pie charts using data from Analysis Services, having the MDX query calculate and return the percentages along with the counts or sums is extremely efficient. In this tip, we walk through an example of how this can be done.
A Patch Disaster
What would happen if the wrong patches were applied to your database server? The results could be a huge problem. Steve Jones reminds you to be careful with mass patches.
Blogs
Identity Columns Can’t Be Updated: #SQLNewBlogger
By Steve Jones
I’m not sure I knew identity column values could not be updated. I ran...
Rolling Back a Broken Release
By Steve Jones
We had an interesting discussion about deployments in databases and how you go forward...
A bespoke reporting solution doesn’t have to cost the earth
By ChrisJenkins
You could be tolerating limited reporting because there isn’t an off the shelf solution...
Forums
Can someone please explain what happens?
I have mentioned this several times over several years. Can someone please help me...
SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT) returns null when nothing is found instead of 0
SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT Component) AS Found FROM tblComponents WHERE(Component NOT LIKE '%[a-z]%') AND(LTRIM(RTRIM(Component)) = 'GM13622')...
Remotely Engineer Fabric Lakehouse objects: The Fabric Modern Data Platform
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Remotely Engineer Fabric Lakehouse objects:...
Question of the Day
Creating JSON III
In a SQL Server 2025 table, called Beer, I have this data:
BeerIDBeerName 1Becks 2Fat Tire 3Mac n Jacks 4Alaskan Amber 8KirinI run this code:
SELECT JSON_OBJECTAGG(
BeerID: BeerName )
FROM beer;
What are the results? See possible answers