Innovation
This Friday Steve Jones wants to know if innovation matters in your company. And if you really enjoy working with computers and solving problems.
Designing & Maintaining SQL Server Transactional Replication Environments
Microsoft IT protects against unplanned Transactional Replication outages and issues by using best practices and proactive monitoring. This results in increased stability, simplified management and improved performance of transactional replication environments.
Check SQL Server Virtual Log Files Using PowerShell
In a previous tip on Monitor Your SQL Server Virtual Log Files with Policy Based Management, we have seen how we can use Policy Based Management to monitor the number of virtual log files (VLFs) in our SQL Server databases. However, even with that most of the solutions I see online involve the creation of temporary tables and/or a combination of using cursors to get the total number of VLFs in a transaction log file. Is there a much easier solution?
SQLSaturday #153 - Salt Lake City 2012
A free one day training event in Salt Lake City, Utah on Oct 20, 2012.
Potential
We often view potential hires based on their potential and not necessarily on their experience. Today Steve Jones talks about the dangers of putting more emphasis on future, rather than past, performance.
Stairway to T-SQL DML Level 10: Changing Data with the UPDATE Statement
Unless you are working on a reporting-only application you will probably need to update tables in your SQL Server database. To update rows in a table you use the UPDATE statement. In this level we will be discussing how to find and update records in your database, and discuss the pitfalls you might run into when using the UPDATE statement.
Improve Your Database Unit Testing Skills and Win Free Stuff
As the SQL Developer community grows to embrace the benefits of test-driven development for databases, so the importance of learning to do it properly increases. One way of learning effective TDD is by the use of code kata – short practice sessions that encourage test-first development in baby steps. I have a limited number of licences for SQL Test to give away free – just for practicing a bit of TDD and telling me about it.
PowerShell script to find files that are consuming the most disk space
As you know, SQL Server databases and backup files can take up a lot of disk space. When disk is running low and you need to troubleshoot disk space issues, the first thing to do is to find large files that are consuming disk space. In this article I will show you a PowerShell script that you can use to find large files on your disks.
Webinar: Temporary Tables in Oracle and SQL Server
Once again Jonathan Lewis (Oracle Ace Director, OakTable Network) and Grant Fritchey (Microsoft SQL Server MVP) will host a live discussion on Oracle and SQL Server, this time in relation to temporary tables. Will they agree on some common ground? Or will it be an out and out argument? Either way, be prepared for a lively exchange that will not only entertain, but will teach you key concepts on Oracle and SQL Server.
Why SQL Server is Better Than Oracle
WARNING: This editorial contains graphic language. Viewer discretion is advised.
Blogs
Databases and AI Agents
By Arun Sirpal
As part of my wider work exploring Claude Code and AI-assisted database engineering, I...
Creating a Pulsing Conducting Baton - Part 1
By Bert Wagner
Train Wreck The last time I watched a high school band nearly fall apart mid-performance...
ISACA AI Material/Exam Prep Discount (May 18 – June 30, 2026)
By Brian Kelley
If you are considering any of the ISACA AI certs like the Advanced Artificial...
Forums
Why Your Index Isn't Being Used? - Reading Execution Plans to Find the Real Culprit
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Why Your Index Isn't Being...
Distance Metric Algorithms
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Distance Metric Algorithms
What Can AI Really Do?
Comments posted to this topic are about the item What Can AI Really Do?
Question of the Day
Distance Metric Algorithms
What are the distance metric algorithms that can be used in VECTOR_DISTANCE()?
See possible answers