Designing Database Changes Before Deployment: Level 1 of the Stairway to Reliable Database Deployments

by Massimo Preitano

SQLServerCentral

Stairway to Reliable Database Deployments introduces a progressive approach to managing database changes with clear intent, predictable rollback, and explicit behavioral guarantees. Starting from change design and moving toward execution and coordination in complex environments, the Stairway provides a conceptual framework for deploying database changes safely and consistently, independent of specific tools or automation platforms.

Stairway to Reliable Database Deployment Level 3 – Rehearsing Changesets Across Environments

by Massimo Preitano

SQLServerCentral

After defining the deployment contract in the previous level, this article focuses on validating a changeset before it reaches production. Rehearsal across environments ensures that execution order, rollback behavior, and baseline alignment all behave exactly as expected.

Stairway to Reliable Database Deployments Level 2 - Defining the Deployment Contract

by Massimo Preitano

SQLServerCentral

Level 2 formalizes the behavioral guarantees that a changeset must provide in order to be safely deployed and rolled back. It introduces the deployment contract, checkpoint semantics, and the structural scope of Create and Rollback scripts. Data changes are addressed through a dedicated Update mechanism, with clear boundaries and limitations. By the end of this level, a changeset becomes a predictable and well-defined unit that can be reasoned about independently of execution context.

Stairway to Reliable Database Deployments Level 4 – Preparing for Production Deployment

by Massimo Preitano

SQLServerCentral

This level examines how a rehearsed changeset is transformed into production-ready deployment artifacts. By consolidating scripts into controlled execution units and validating the resulting artifacts, the approach ensures that production deployment remains predictable and aligned with what was proven during rehearsal.

How Do the Experts Become Experts?

by Kathi Kellenberger

SQLServerCentral.com

How do the experts get to that level? A few thoughts today in a guest editorial from Kathi Kellenberger.

SSMS Copilot is Messing With Your AI Prompts

by Additional Articles

Brent Ozar Blog

You might notice that the advice you get from Copilot in SSMS isn’t very good, but it isn’t necessarily AI in general. Part of the problem is something specific about SSMS Copilot and the way it prompts LLMs, and I wish I could tell you exactly what it is, but I can’t because I don’t have access to how SSMS is changing your prompts.

Vector Search in SQL Server 2025: Storing Embeddings, Querying Them, and What to Watch Out For

by vgupta

SQLServerCentral

This article shows how you can generate embeddings in SQL Server 2025, store them, and use them in your queries.

Would You Retire Rather Than ...

by Steve Jones

SQLServerCentral

Career Growth

What would make you retire? Steve asks the question today.

Microsoft are retiring role-based certifications. Here’s why they shouldn’t

by Additional Articles

SimpleTalk

Uncategorized

In this Simple Talk opinion piece, Microsoft certification veteran Dr Greg Low considers – and shares his thoughts on – the recent announcement that many role-based Microsoft certifications are being retired.

PASS Europe comes to Frankfurt

by Steve Jones

SQLServerCentral

PASS Summit

PASS Europe comes to Frankfurt, Germany on June 10-11, 2026.

Designing Database Changes Before Deployment: Level 1 of the Stairway to Reliable Database Deployments

Stairway to Reliable Database Deployment Level 3 – Rehearsing Changesets Across Environments

Stairway to Reliable Database Deployments Level 2 - Defining the Deployment Contract

Stairway to Reliable Database Deployments Level 4 – Preparing for Production Deployment

How Do the Experts Become Experts?

SSMS Copilot is Messing With Your AI Prompts

Vector Search in SQL Server 2025: Storing Embeddings, Querying Them, and What to Watch Out For

Would You Retire Rather Than ...

Microsoft are retiring role-based certifications. Here’s why they shouldn’t

PASS Europe comes to Frankfurt

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