Historical Dollars
Tracking your salary over time might be a fun, or not so fun, endeavor for a DBA. However should anyone else know what your trend is? Steve Jones asks the question this week.
Issues with running backup log with no_log or truncate_only
On my database server I have my databases set to the full recovery model, but the transaction logs get quite big, so I am issuing a BACKUP LOG with NO_LOG. I am not exactly sure if this causes any issues, but I know that I am able to free up space in my transaction log and shrink the file. Is this the correct way to handle this situation?
Joining to the Next Sequential Row
One of the more obscure requirements that a developer may find themselves facing is the need to compare a row with its immediate sibling. One such case is when a list of values needs to be processed to produce a moving average or to smooth a sequence of statistical numbers where their order is important. For example, values lying along a time line. The solution is actually quite simple, but not immediately obvious.
Quality Control with SQL Server
What's going on with SQL Server? Quite a few problems with patches reported lately. Steve Jones comments on what he sees happening.
The Feature Debate
Is SQL Server keeping up with MySQL or is it the other way around. Steve Jones comments on a few of the differences in the platforms.
XML Workshop XVIII - Generating an RSS 2.0 Feed with TSQL
Continuing on with part 18 of his series, MVP Jacob Sebastian examines building an RSS feed in T-SQL.
SQL Server Tracing: An Automated and Centralized Solution
When you are trying to pin down the cause of a problem with a SQL Server, there is probably going to come a time when you need to get 'trace' information. If you've ever done that, you'll know how easy it is to get overwhelmed by the detail. Here, Shawn McGehee shows how to get round the problem by capturing trace information on a schedule, filtering the captured information, and monitoring it from a central location.
The Social Mesh
Steve Jones talks about some research from Dr. Cross, a professor from his alma mater, into social networks and how work gets done in a company.
The Social Mesh
Steve Jones talks about some research from Dr. Cross, a professor from his alma mater, into social networks and how work gets done in a company.
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
The Power of Data and Privacy
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Power of Data and...
What's the Date?
Comments posted to this topic are about the item What's the Date?
Two New Shortcuts for Fabric Lakehouse Developers: The Fabric Modern Data Platform
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Two New Shortcuts for Fabric...
Question of the Day
What's the Date?
In SQL Server 2025, there is a new function that returns the current date without the time. What is it?
See possible answers