The OVER Clause enhancements in SQL Server code named “Denali”, CTP3
A look at how the OVER clause is changing in SQL 11, based on the CTP 3 released to the public.
XML Configuration files in SQL Server Integration Services
Package configuration files are a great way of providing the values of SSIS package properties so that packages can be used in a far more versatile way. They make the deployment of SSIS packages easier and can provide parameters that are based on the server configuration, or which change for each runtime. They're easy to understand, especially when explained by Rob Sheldon.
Filtered Indexes in SQL Server: Stairway to SQL Server Indexes Level 7
A filtered index eliminates unusable entries from the index, producing an index that is as beneficial as, but much smaller than, an unfiltered index. If a certain subset of a table's data is frequently requested, a filtered index can also be a covering index; resulting in a considerable reduction in IO.
Pop Tarts and Hurricanes
Today Steve Jones talks about the relation between hurricanes and poptarts, and why you should be working on your T-SQL skills.
Help Make SQL Server “Denali” The Best Release Yet!
A blog from Dan Jones of Microsoft asks you to test the next release of SQL Server, in CTP3 now, and send your feedback to Microsoft to ensure that the product is well tested.
Understanding the SQL Server NOLOCK hint
It seems that in some SQL Server shops the use of the NOLOCK (aka READUNCOMMITED) hint is used throughout the application. In this tip we take a closer look at how this works and what the issues maybe when using NOLOCK.
A faster DBCC CHECKDB?
This article describes a utility that is able to report the most common DBCC CHECKDB errors significantly faster than DBCC CHECKDB does itself.
The Talent Crunch
There seems to be no shortage of IT jobs in the US, and Steve Jones reminds us that the shortage is for talented workers, not just workers.
Script to Get Available and Free Disk Space for SQL Server
Often we face the situation where we need to check the total disk space and available disk space for both physical and LUN/Mount drives. See how this can be done using PowerShell.
Blogs
Learn about Modern Microsoft Apps in San Diego
By Steve Jones
I wrote about learning today for the editorial: I Can’t Make You Learn. I...
How To Deploy Fabric SQL and Azure SQL Databases with Azure DevOps
By ReviewMyDB
Fabric has CI/CD built in, but if you've tried to use it for database...
A New Word: Attriage
By Steve Jones
attriage – n. the state of having lost all control over how you feel...
Forums
Forward Deployed Engineers
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TRY_PARSE vs TRY_CONVERT in SQL Server: From Basics to Practical Usage
Comments posted to this topic are about the item TRY_PARSE vs TRY_CONVERT in SQL...
DBCC CHECKDB Limits II
Comments posted to this topic are about the item DBCC CHECKDB Limits II
Question of the Day
DBCC CHECKDB Limits II
I have a SQL Server 2025 database that I want to check for corruption every night. One of the things we do is disable indexes used for ETL loads during the weekend and re-enable them on Monday morning. If we run DBCC over the weekend, are our disabled indexes checked for consistency?
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