Index Internal Structure in SQL Server: Stairway to SQL Server Indexes Level 10
A detailed look the B-Tree structure – Leaf level and non-leaf level.
Sub query expressions vs. Joins.
Do sub query expressions introduce a performance penalty on retrieving large data sets?
Thoughts on Survival
Today we have a guest editorial from Andy Warren. Are you in a survival job? Read Andy's thoughts and let us know.
Incorporating XML into your Database Objects
XML data can become a full participant in a SQL Server Database, and can be used in views, functions, check constraints, computed columns and defaults. Views and table-valued functions can be used to provide a tabular view of XML data that can be used in SQL Expressions. Robert Sheldon explains how.
Better Than Batman
Steve Jones praises Bill Gates today, and the work he is doing to make the world a better place.
PASS Data Architecture Virtual Chapter presents Audrey Hammonds – Database Makeover: Renovate You Data Model
On Thursday January 19th at 12 noon Central, Audrey Hammonds will discuss renovating your data model while keeping you’re the production system humming
Restoring SQL Server System Databases MSDB and Model
Due to a recent rebuild of the master database for a SQL Server instance, I now need to restore the msdb and model databases. In this tip we walk through the process that you need to follow to restore the model and msdb databases successfully.
Setting Up Email Notification for SSIS Package Failure
As a DBA, we often setup monitoring to receive job failure notification, but when it comes to SSIS packages, we either do not capture the job failure (if the job runs through the command prompt) or we have no idea why it failed. In this article, I'd like to walk you through how to enable the logging functionality for SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) and how to capture detailed information for immediate troubleshooting without "re-run" the package.
A script task alternative to a massive SSIS multicast transformation
A Multicast Transformation can be used to write the same data file to multiple network folders, but it can be tedious and time-consuming to set up as the number of destination files grows. Learn how you can use this transformation in this article by Stan Kulp.
Blogs
A New Word: los vidados
By Steve Jones
los vidados – n. the half-remembered acquaintances you knew years ago, who you might...
In-Person CISA Training – April 13-16, 2026
By Brian Kelley
I will be leading an in-person Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) exam prep class...
EightKB 2026
EightKB is back again for 2026! The biggest online SQL Server internals conference is...
Forums
query to track time spent on individual tasks in SSIS
Hi everyone I am looking at building a query to determine how much time...
SQL Server Transactional Replication from Always On Availability Groups to Azure SQL Database
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Server Transactional Replication from...
Hidden Heroes
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Hidden Heroes
Question of the Day
Identities and Sequences I
When thinking of the Identity property for auto incrementing columns and sequences for the same action, which are explicitly linked to increment a number in a table when a new row is added?
See possible answers