Adding Column to a SQL Server Table
This article examines the difference between adding a nullable column to a table or a column with a default value.
Less Pay, More Convenience
Steve Jones talks telecommuting today as a recent survey shows that a third of IT professionals would take less pay to work away from the office.
Performance Troubleshooting with Windows Resource Monitor - Part 2
In the second part of the Resource Monitor series we conclude with a look using the Memory tab and Disk tab to diagnose performance issues.
Cam-Graph
A new project from Microsoft Research has Steve Jones interested. It deals with large data sets to perform graphical modeling. The storage mechanism has Steve Jones interested.
How to Setup Report Parameters to Default Based On User Credentials
This article explains how to setup Reporting Services (SSRS) parameters default values using user credentials.
Life is Short
Life is short, and Steve Jones reminds us to live for today, even as we invest in ourselves for the future.
Backup and Restore of an Analysis Services Database
One of the most important responsibilities of a database administrator is to make sure that all the databases are backed up across environments managed by them. In my earlier article titled Importance of Database Backups and Recovery Plan I discussed the importance of a good database backup and recovery plan for all the user and system databases. In this article we will take a look at the steps which a database administrator needs to follow to backup and restore an analysis services database.
SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 Customer Technology Preview Available
You can help test the first service pack for SQL Server 2008 R2 and ensure the highest quality possible for its release.
Happy Easter 2011
It's Good Friday and the Easter holiday weekend with a number of countries having a bank holiday. Steve Jones is on vacation and providing us with a blooper reel for today.
ShowPlan Operator of the Week - Split, Sort, Collapse
'Split, Sort & Collapse' is, happily, not a description of the intrepid Fabiano Amorim after his epic series of articles about the ShowPlan operators. With renewed stamina, Fabiano continues his mission to describe all the major operators by explaining the Trivial Plan and the power of unique indices.
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
Vectors in SQL Server 2025
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Vectors in SQL Server 2025
Odd Sequences
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Odd Sequences
Everything is the right question away
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Everything is the right question...
Question of the Day
Odd Sequences
What values are returned from this code?
CREATE SEQUENCE NumericSequence
AS NUMERIC(5,1)
START WITH 1.0
INCREMENT BY 0.1;
GO
SELECT NEXT VALUE FOR NumericSequence
GO
SELECT NEXT VALUE FOR NumericSequence
GO See possible answers