The Real SQL Server Experts
T-SQL is not a language to be admired from a distance for its grace, sophistication and integrity. It is a tool designed to allow "normal" developers and DBAs to build database business applications as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
Starting Conversations - Part 5
I just finished up my third coaching call with Don Gabor (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4) and I think I'm gaining a little ground, but still finding that I have a lot to learn.
Understanding SSIS Data Flow Buffers (SQL Server Video)
This video looks at the memory buffers that transfer data to the data flow of an Integration Services package.
Using SQL Server to Build a Hub-and-Spoke Enterprise Data Warehouse Architecture
Scalable, cost-effective EDW implementation is an elusive goal for many large organizations. Three common approaches include centralized EDW the “monolithic” approach, decentralized collections of data marts, and attempts at hub-and-spoke architectures that combine the previous two. With the acquisition of DATAllegro and the pending release of Project codename “Madison,” Microsoft is poised to deliver a unique and compelling Massively Parallel Processing (MPP) data warehouse solution that combines the best features of both EDW and decentralized data marts.
Mathematical Auditing Of Email Broadcasts
In a sequel to his previous article on referential integrity, Glen Cooper looks at some ways to analyze who is getting emails based on a database system.
Time Off
It's almost summer with Memorial Day coming next week in the US. For this Friday's poll Steve Jones asks about nothing to do with SQL Server, technology, or work.
How to find out how long a SQL Server backup took
Many shops do full backups of their databases as part of a job within SQL Agent, typically as part of a maintenance plan. This job will often times do all database backups in secession. As such, while you may know how long the job takes, you may not know how long any one particular database takes to have a full backup taken.
Overview of the Analysis Services Development and Management Environments
SQL Server 2005 introduces a rich set of tools supporting the development and management of Business Intelligence applications. This includes applications using Analysis Services (OLAP and Data Mining), as well as Reporting Services and Data Transformation Services (DTS).
The Pros and Cons of Stored Procedures
I saw this mentioned on Twitter, and watched it while doing some light editing and scheduling. It’s from TechEd 2009 in LA, and includes a number of MVPs and consultants and even a Microsoft SQL Server program manager. It’s a video, running about 55 minutes...
Blogs
Who Are You Doing It For?
By Brian Kelley
But as I've matured over the years, I came to realize that I needed...
Presenting Twice in May 2026
By alevyinroc
I will be presenting my latest session, Documenting Your Work for Worry-Free Vacations, in-person...
Finding the Next Sequence Value: #SQLNewBlogger
By Steve Jones
I saw a question asking about the next sequence value and decided to try...
Forums
DB Design Methods
I've read a few posts regarding what we use to design DB models and...
Auto Update Statistics not triggering on filtered indexes
I've got a table with 186,703,969 rows, about 300GB of data. There are several...
What is the difference between SQL Server and SQL Database?
I created a SQL Database in Azure Portal but I've just noticed it also...
Question of the Day
An Unusual Identity
What values are returned when I run this code?
CREATE TABLE dbo.IdentityTest2
(
id NUMERIC(10,0) IDENTITY(10,10) PRIMARY KEY,
somevalue VARCHAR(20)
)
GO
INSERT dbo.IdentityTest2
(
somevalue
)
VALUES
( 'Steve')
, ('Bill')
GO
SELECT top 10
id
FROM dbo.IdentityTest2 See possible answers