Multiple Mirrors
Should we evolve the database mirroring technology to work with multiple mirrors? Steve Jones says this might be an interesting idea.
Professional Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services - Sample Chapter
Learn about SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services with this new title from Wiley. We have a sample chapter you can read to see if you like this book.
Development Lifecycle Deployment SSAS, SSRS, SSIS
Many companies have a very rigid development lifecycle for all products or solutions they develop. Deploying to each of these...
SQL Server Lazy Writer Issue: Warning, No Free Buffers Found
This tip is intended to help someone who is or will be facing a no free buffer found issue with the SQL Server LazyWriter. Recently, we experienced some unknown issues with our SQL Server and after inspecting the error log file we noticed the following errors: "SQL Server has encountered 50 occurrence(s) of I/O requests taking longer than 15 seconds to complete on file..." and "LazyWriter: warning, no free buffers found." These error messages were followed by a SQL Server memory dump file like SQLDump0030.mdmp in the file system.
The T-SQL Hammer
The over-reliance on a familiar tool is best described with the quote, “if all you have is hammer, everything looks...
Cleaning Up Garbage from Data
Cleaning up garbage from data can be a big problem for a developer.Check out a simple solution from Shubhajyoti Ghosh to cleaning up garbage from data.
FizzBuzz
Can most programmers not program? A new test, the FizzBuzz test, is being used to weed out candidates. Steve Jones comments on the types of FizzBuzz questions he's used in T-SQL.
Oracle: Overhaul or Overkill?
Vendor-specific hardware might make Oracle less painful to use in the future, so Chris Massey considers whether Microsoft should consider providing a more tailored and complete product with SQL Server. The verdict? "Not necessary".
SSIS 2008 Script Component variable gotcha..
In a previous post I showed you how to access variables from within an SSIS script component. More specifically I...
Tips for Simplifying Crosstab Query Statements
Rob Gravelle takes a complex SQL statement and shows you several ways to re-write it that both simplifies and shortens it, while still yielding the same results.
Blogs
Webinar: Navigating the Database Landscape in 2026
By Steve Jones
For a number of years, we’ve produced the State of the Database Landscape report,...
Claude AI Convinced Me Not to Build an iPad App
By Steve Jones
I coach volleyball and I do a lot of stat stuff on paper. I...
A New Word: Dolorblindness
By Steve Jones
dolorblindness – n. the frustration that you’ll never be able to understand another person’s...
Forums
Data Warehouse Toolkit meets Star Schema: The Complete Reference
Is there a good syllabus for reading these two together? (Yes, it's called the...
GPX distance and time analysis in SQL Server
Comments posted to this topic are about the item GPX distance and time analysis...
The DBA is Dead; Long Live the DBA
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The DBA is Dead; Long...
Question of the Day
Changing the AG Listener
In SQL Server 2025, if I want to remove an IP from a listener, what do I do?
See possible answers