What MAXDOP Setting Should be Used for SQL Server
I have a busy SQL Server and notice that several queries are running in parallel. I know I can set the max degree of parallelism setting, but what MAXDOP should I use?
Targeted Learning
Today Steve Jones says your learning should have a plan. He uses an example from a recent conference where one motivated attendee came with a plan.
Understanding the SQL Server 2012 BI Semantic Model (BISM)
SQL Server 2012 introduced an unified BI Semantic Model (BISM) which is based on some of the existing as well as some new technologies. This model is intended to serve as one model for all end user experiences for reporting, analytics, scorecards, dashboards, etc. In this tip, I will talk in detail about the new BISM, how it differs from earlier the earlier Unified Dimensional Model (UDM) and how BISM lays down a foundation for future.
SQL Saturday #182 - Istanbul
SQL Saturday at the gateway between Europe and Asia. If you are nearby, come join in a free day of SQL Server training and presentations.
Password Insecurities
Tony Davis argues that the Standards and best practices exist to avoid being hacked, but implementing them requires time and investment and often there simply doesn't seem to be the will to do it.
Review Your Indexing
Today Steve Jones reminds us that we should analyze and re-evalute our indexing strategy on a regular basis.
SQL Saturday #181 - Tokyo
A free day of training, SQL Saturday comes to Tokyo, Japan. Come have a SQL Server day with fellow data professionals if you can.
Returning the Top X row for each group (SQL Spackle)
One of the most common T-SQL questions is on returning a ranked result set for each member of a group. Dave Ballentyne brings us a short tutorial on how you can do this in T-SQL.
The SQL Server Pro Awards
Phil Factor is pleasantly surprised by the SQL Server Pro awards, and talks about the thinking behind Down Tools Week.
SQL Server Transaction Log Fragmentation: a Primer
Generally, you will have no need to worry about the number of virtual log files in your transaction log. However, if you use the default settings for 'auto-grow', you can end up with such 'fragmentation' in your transaction log as to affect performance noticably. How can this be avoided? How can you tell it's a problem? What do you do about it? Greg explains.
Blogs
Flyway Tips: AI Helps with Commit Messages
By Steve Jones
At Redgate, we’re experimenting with how AI can help developers and DBAs become better...
Startup scripts in SQL Server containers
I was messing around performing investigative work on a pod running SQL Server 2025...
Using SQL Compare with Redgate Data Modeler
By Steve Jones
Redgate recently released SQL Compare v16, which included a new feature to work with...
Forums
Encoding Strings
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Encoding Strings
Deep Learning and Craftsmanship Matter
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Deep Learning and Craftsmanship Matter
Building a Real-Time Analytics Pipeline with Azure Stream Analytics and SQL Server
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Building a Real-Time Analytics Pipeline...
Question of the Day
Encoding Strings
I have this code in SQL Server 2025. What is the result?
DECLARE @message VARCHAR(50) = 'Hello SQL Server 2025!'; DECLARE @encoded VARCHAR(MAX); SET @encoded = BASE64_ENCODE(@message); SELECT @encoded AS EncodedResult;See possible answers