Understanding Scans And Seeks
Whether a query uses Scan or Seek can have a big impact on the cost of excuting that query. This article examines when each is used and which is optimal.
Using Star Join and Few-Outer-Row Optimizations to Improve Data Warehousing Queries
In this white paper we discuss two of the new features in SQL Server 2008, Star Join and Few-Outer-Row optimizations. We test the performance of SQL Server 2008 on a set of complex data warehouse queries designed to highlight the effect of these two features and observed a significant performance gain over SQL Server 2005 (without these two features).
Finding Passwords
There was a vulnerability announced in the SQL Server password system last week, but Steve Jones doesn't see this as much of an issue. Read his thoughts and see if you agree.
Returning full error details from SQL Server Agent jobs
Tired of the truncated error history that is available for SQL Server Agent jobs in SSMS, here is a way to get deeper information - easily!
EVA Partition Alignment
Partition alignment is a well documented best practice, but does it have any benefit on an HP EVA?
Finding Passwords
There was a vulnerability announced in the SQL Server password system last week, but Steve Jones doesn't see this as much of an issue. Read his thoughts and see if you agree.
Finding Passwords
There was a vulnerability announced in the SQL Server password system last week, but Steve Jones doesn't see this as much of an issue. Read his thoughts and see if you agree.
Finding Passwords
There was a vulnerability announced in the SQL Server password system last week, but Steve Jones doesn't see this as much of an issue. Read his thoughts and see if you agree.
Transact-SQL Formatting Standards
How should SQL code be formatted? What sort of indentation should you use? Should keywords be in upper case? How should lists be lined up? SQL is one of those languages that will execute however you treat whitespace and capitalization. However, the way SQL is laid out will effect its readability and the time taken to review and understand it. Standardisation of code layout is an important issue, but what standard should you adopt? Rob avoids a direct answer, but tells you the sort of answers you'll need to decide upon when creating a strategy for formatting SQL code.
Enforcing Data Quality while using Surrogate Keys
Data quality is important in a database, but so many people fail to implement good referential integrity. New author Marvin Elder brings us an article that looks at surrogate keys for ensuring data quality.
Blogs
A Cloud Dependency Failure from Amazon
By Steve Jones
I went to sleep while reading a Kindle book on my phone. I know...
T-SQL Tuesday #198 Invitation: How Do You Detect Data Changes?
It's time for T-SQL Tuesday #198! This month's topic is change detection. The post T-SQL...
Understanding Fabric MCP
By James Serra
Model Context Protocol, or MCP, is one of those technical ideas that sounds more...
Forums
SPAM Issues May 2026
We suffered a SPAM attack from May 1-6, which unfortunately corresponded with time off...
SQL Password enforcing
Hi to all We have situation at a client where someone is illegally changing...
SQL Password enforcing
Hi to all We have situation at a client where someone is illegally changing...
Question of the Day
Creating a JSON Document III
I have this data in a table called dbo.NFLTeams
TeamID TeamName City YearEstablished ------ -------- ---- --------------- 1 Cowboys Dallas 1960 2 Eagles Philadelphia 1933 3 Packers Green Bay 1919 4 Chiefs Kansas City 1960 5 49ers San Francisco 1946 6 Broncos Denver 1960 7 Seahawks Seattle 1976 8 Patriots New England 1960If I run this code, how many rows are returned?
SELECT TOP 2
json_objectagg('Team' : TeamName)
FROM dbo.NFLTeams;
See possible answers