Improving SQLServerCentral
Today Steve Jones talks about changes that are coming to SQLServerCentral.
Open Source SQL Server
There's a new product out that is an alternative to Microsoft SQL Server. The new HummyBase product from Kenneth Ingols SQL Software gives you another platform for your databases applications with no re-coding and at a fraction of the price.
Improving Comparison Operators and Window Functions
It is dangerous to assume that your data is sound. SQL already has intrinsic ways to cope with missing, or unknown data in its comparison predicate operators, or Theta operators. Can SQL be more effective in the way it deals with data quality? Joe Celko describes how the SQL Standard could soon evolve to deal with data in ways that allow aggregation and windowing in cases where the data quality is less than perfect.
What Counts for a DBA: Adventurousness
The ever changing nature of the relational database system requires administrators who relish risk and adventure. From the moment that Edgar F Codd proposed his 12 rules that defined the relational database management system, the language COBOL and the VSAM databases that had been so popular vanished as database administrators rushed to adopt the new system, keen as always to adopt the latest technologies, using hardware that had less power than the current middle school math student’s calculator: the relational era was born.
The Chance of Failure
Do you plan for failure as a possibility or a probability? The difference might mean you take your plans and testing a little more seriously. Steve Jones notes that you might want to plan on the latter.
How to Setup Boot from VHD for a SQL Server test or development environment
I need to setup a virtual environment for development and testing. I've heard about a new feature in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 called boot from a virtual hard disk (VHD) which allows you to create multiple VHDs and select them from the boot menu on startup without having to partition your hard drive to achieve multi-boot. I have a need for SharePoint and SQL Server test and development environments. Can you provide the details of how to set this up?
Maaaaaagic Tables!!!
I had an interview earlier this week. An interview for a SQL developer position. It went fine. But. Question number X...
SQL Server Index Maintenance Performance Tuning for Large Tables
This article describes a real-world example of performance tuning index maintenance for a large table of approximately 1 billion rows.
Modifying and deleting extended properties
Continuing the short series on extended properties, this article explains how to turbocharge the creation of extended properties
Blogs
Flyway Tips: AI Deployment Script Descriptions
By Steve Jones
With the AI push being everywhere, Redgate is no exception. We’ve been getting requests,...
A New Word: Fawtle
By Steve Jones
fawtle – n. a weird little flaw built into your partner that somehow only...
Post-quantum key exchange – Insurance policy for your packets
AWS recently added support for Post-Quantum Key Exchange for TLS in Application Load Balancer...
Forums
Semantic Search in SQL Server 2025
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Semantic Search in SQL Server...
Encoding URLs
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Encoding URLs
An SSIS Upgrade
Comments posted to this topic are about the item An SSIS Upgrade
Question of the Day
Encoding URLs
I have this data in a table:
CREATE TABLE Response ( ResponseID INT NOT NULL CONSTRAINT ResponsePK PRIMARY KEY , ResponseVal VARBINARY(5000) ) GOIf I want to get a value from this table that I can add to a URL in a browser, which of these code items produces a result I can use? See possible answers