Information Schema Strangeness

An extra column in an information_schema view had Steve digging into standards.

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The ten habits for highly successful compliant database DevOps

Database DevOps has come of age. Now seen as a key technical practice which can contribute to the successful implementation of DevOps, it stops the database being a bottleneck and makes releases faster and easier.

To implement it successfully, there are ten areas which teams should focus on.

Living With Broken Software

Steve has to use software that is broken, but it's OK. It actually works well enough.

DAX CASE Statement Functionality with IF, SWITCH and SWITCH True

The CASE expression is one of the most valuable tools in your T-SQL toolbox. I use it in almost every query I write. However, there isn't a direct equivalent of CASE in DAX. Since it's a different language entirely, I don't expect it. As my grandmother used to say, I am not surprised, just disappointed. If you don't know, DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) is a language for creating custom calculations and aggregations in Power Pivot, Power BI, and other data analysis tools. Two functions in DAX come close to replicating the functionality but come with limitations. Which one of these functions should you use? Please stay tuned.

Improving the Quality of your Database Monitoring

Database monitoring should be as simple as possible, and yet still allow the users to drill into sufficient detail to be able to recommend a fix to the problem. The trick is to adopt a layered or 'tiered' approach.

Has SQL Server Performance Improved?

This week Steve found a question of whether SQL Server 2019 uses more CPU than 2016.

Building a Better Profile

Steve thinks building a brand is important in today's competitive world of job seekers.

Shrink Database Log Files One by One

Learn how you can shrink your transaction log files serially, one by one.

Snowflake Temporary Tables vs. Transient Tables

When working with Snowflake, it is important to understand the different types of tables available and when to use each one. In this tutorial, we will compare Snowflake temporary and transient tables, highlight their similarities and differences, and provide examples of when to use each type of table.