I lied, now what?
What do you do if you've lied to get a job and now are in a bad position? Steve Jones offers his advice today.
Let the optimizer drive
For many, there is something disconcerting in the idea of the Query Optimizer; they crave control, but it really is best to take a back seat and let the Optimizer do its job.
TSQL Challenge 49 - Identify overlapping time sheet entries of field t
Several technicians are sent to a customer premises to do a certain maintenance work. Your task is to process the activity log entered by each technician and identify overlaps.
A Full Backup can Impact a Log Backup–MCM Prep
In the early days of SQL Server you could not run a log backup while a full backup was running....
Importing and Exporting SSIS Packages Using PowerShell
SQL Server PowerShell Extensions (SQLPSX) includes a set of function for working with SSIS which among other things allow you...
SQL Server Migration Assistant 2008 (SSMA)
One of my client’s requirements is to migrate and consolidate his company departments’ databases to SQL Server 2008. As I know the environment, they are using MySQL , MS-Access and SQL Server with different applications. Now the company has decided to have a single dedicated SQL Server 2008 database server to host all the applications. So there are a few things to do to upgrade and migrate from MySQL and MS-Access to SQL Server 2008. For the migration task, I found the SQL Server Migration Assistant 2008 (SSMA 2008) is very useful which reduces the effort and risk of migration. So in this tip, I will do an overview of SSMA 2008.
Toys V. Tools
What's a toy and what's a tool? This Friday, a guest editorial from Jason Brimhall asks what in technology might be considered a toy or a tool, or perhaps, both.
Microsoft SQL Server Licensing For Dummies..
Don’t let the above title fool you! Have you been confused on the Microsoft SQL Server Licensing requirements? Per Processor, Per CAL, Per Core, Per Socket, Per Node – Per haps (space intended :-), we should revisit the issue again, and try to offer some assistance as you go forward in making your purchasing decisions.
Microsoft Support Policies for Windows Server and SQL Server
Microsoft provides ten years of support (five years Mainstream Support and five years Extended Support) at the supported service pack...
RegEx-Based Finding and Replacing of Text in SSMS
So often, one sees developers doing repetitive coding in SQL Server Management Studio or Visual Studio that could be made much quicker and easier by using the Regular-Expression-based Find/Replace functionality. It is understandable, since the syntax is odd and some features are missing, but it is still worth knowing about.
Blogs
Narrow Task Decomposition in AI Pipeline Agents
A nightly load into sales_fact fails. Ask an orchestrating agent to break down the...
Car Update: August 2026
By Steve Jones
It’s been some time since I provided a car update, so I decided to...
Microsoft Fabric OneLake Shortcuts: When to Use Them and When Not To
By James Serra
An architecture scenario Imagine separate Sales, Finance, Shared Data, and Executive Analytics workspaces. Sales...
Forums
Managing Incidents and Fighting Fires
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Backing Up a DMK
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Backing Up a DMK
The Quiet Part
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Quiet Part
Question of the Day
Backing Up a DMK
In SQL Server 2025, I have a database with a Database Masker Key (DMK). I want to back up this key and keep a copy offline. When do I have to open this key before running the backup?
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