SQL Server Startup
From time to time I see a question asking how to determine the last time a SQL Server was either...
Do You Need A Safe Word?
A hacker breaches security by gaining control of an executive's email account. Does that mean that we should consider adding another level of authentication to privileged requests?
SQL Server random numerics data generation using CLR
You need to generate random data directly into SQL Server table columns or close to the database engine as variables or expressions. Looking at the SQL Server available functions, you notice that only RAND function offers support for random data generation. Although RAND([seed]) is a built-in function, it can only return a float value between 0 and 1, and has other limitations in regards to seed values. Because your table columns may be of various data types, and each data type may have a lower value and an upper value, you would prefer to create your custom random data generators. This is when SQL Server CLR functions come into play and provide a viable solution.
Naturally Increasing Data Value with Hierarchical Structures
Hierarchical structures have an inherent ability for significant data value increases beyond the data collected. This will be shown to exist in hierarchical structures and even more powerfully in their natural hierarchical processing capabilities. These will demonstrate flexible and efficient ways to increase data value automatically and will be discussed in this article. SQL will be used to perform a wide range of hierarchical processing operations that easily demonstrate these increasing data value capabilities.
SQL Bits VIII
SQL Bits 8 will be in Brighton in the UK on April 7th-9th. There are paid full days of training as well as a free day on Saturday. Register now for the premier SQL Server event in the UK.
SQL Server Crossword #3
To mark my 30th Birthday today, as promised here’s a SQL Server Crossword for you to enjoy. You can find the previous...
Extracting Extended Properties
In this second article of a short series we look at using the Extended Properties which you have added to a database
SQL Server Central Webinar Series #8 - Source Control: Step One for Database Lifecycle Management
Join MVP Andy Leonard and Steve Jones in this webinar where you will learn how to get better control over your code and maintain versions using source control.
The Business - Part 2
Today we have a guest editorial by Andy Warren. This one continues the thought of how you relate to the rest of your company, or "the business" as is it often known.
Primary Keys – why accept the defaults.
G’day,
When I design a table in SQL SERVER, I like to have a reasonable understanding of how the table will...
Blogs
AI Helps Me with My Sloppiness
By Steve Jones
I type fairly well. Well, I type fast, but I do wear out a...
WITH clause gets a 26ai boost!
By way of background, a while back I did video called “My New Favourite...
Automatic Index Compaction
By ReviewMyDB
Index maintenance has always meant nightly jobs and a window you have to defend....
Forums
SQL Art, Part 4: Happy 4th of July — A British DBA's Guide to Celebrating a War We Don't Talk About
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Art, Part 4: Happy...
How We Handled a Vendor Retry That Loaded Twice in Snowflake
Comments posted to this topic are about the item How We Handled a Vendor...
Cognitive Coverage
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Cognitive Coverage
Question of the Day
Getting the Average
I have this data in the dbo.Commission table in a SQL Server 2022 database.
salesperson commission Brian 12 Brian 16 Andy 7 Andy 14 Andy 21 Steve 20 Steve NULLAll the data is a varchar, and I decide to run this query to get the totals for each salesperson.
SELECT SalesPerson
, AVG(TRY_PARSE(Commission AS int)) AS TotalCommission
FROM commission
GROUP BY SalesPerson
GO
What average commission is calculated for Steve? See possible answers