Inside The Question of the Day
A note from the editor on our very popular Question of the Day. Learn what it is, how it works, and what you can do to improve it.
Securing Data
It's important that you do more than just implement perimeter security with firewalls. Steve Jones talks about how we can better secure our systems.
SSIS – Transfer SQL Server Objects Debugged
A new SSIS developer finds a problem with the Transfer SQL Server Objects task. Join new author Stephen LaPlante as he digs through and discovers a bug in this task.
Virtualization for Database Development
The trials and tribulations of our first attempt using Virtual Servers
How to Share Data Between Stored Procedures
Different ways of passing sets of data between stored procedures.
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.
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.
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.
New Column Updates
What is the fastest way to update a newly created column in a large table? New author Bimal Fernando brings us a look at a technique he uses for just this situation.
No XP, but Look Forward To 7
A look back at the news of the past week including Windows 7, SSD performance, April Fools, and consistency in SQL Server.
Blogs
Shifting Mindsets: Why FinOps is Essential for Cloud Efficiency
By HeyMo0sh
As a DevOps practitioner, I’ve always focused on performance, scalability, and automation. But as...
March 2026 SQL Server Security Updates
By Brian Kelley
On Patch Tuesday, in addition to OS and Office security patches, Microsoft also released...
How Fabric Mirroring Transformed with SQL Server 2025
When mirroring was first released for Azure SQL Database, it used Change Data Capture...
Forums
Multiple Deployment Processes
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Multiple Deployment Processes
How to Use sqlpackage to Detect Schema Drift Between Azure SQL Databases
Comments posted to this topic are about the item How to Use sqlpackage to...
Upgrading Admin Queries
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Upgrading Admin Queries
Question of the Day
Upgrading Admin Queries
I have a query from a former DBA that we run on SQL Server 2025 to check on database metadata. This query references sys.sysaltfiles. I want to refactor this code to be more modern. Which DMV should I reference instead?
See possible answers