Beware of Mixing Collations - Part 1
A few months ago Greg Larsen ran across a big problem with SQL Server collation when querying. He shares his bruises in this quick article.
Pro Developer : Throwing Money Out the Window
It's common knowledge among programmers that most of the ills of the software industry, and most particularly the companies where we work, could be solved by simply letting the technical people make the technical decisions. Obviously, since this is so incredibly logical and sensible, it's a given that most companies leave management decisions to managers, and technical decisions to the computer guys.
User-defined Data Type Basics
This article discusses an often-overlooked feature of SQL Server called user-defined data types.
SQL LiteSpeed - Lightning Fast Backups
A look at a fantastic new backup product from DBAssociates. This is the only 3rd party backup product that I would use or recommend.
Building a Demo Server - Part 2
Everyone does demos. You need them to sell your software, but the demo server presents some challenges. Continuing this series, this article looks at moving data between servers.
Setting a Default Database for your Logins
Andy discusses reasons why he thinks setting the default database to anything other than master is a mistake. We think he does a good job of covering the pros and cons, read the article and join the discussion!
How Safe are Your Passwords?
How safe are your SQL passwords? Use these free tools to find out how secure your passwords are and generate more secure passwords.
Utilizing fn_virtualfilestats
In this example, we will attempt to get some statistical information on file-group utilization to assist us with IO monitoring.
Comments on PASS Community Summit 2002
Andy attended the recent PASS Community Summit and had a great time. Read some of the highlights from his perspective and maybe decide that you'll want to attend next year!
Pro Developer: Improving Your Career In Any Economy
Like many other areas of business, the tech industry has weathered the occasional slump over the past few decades. It's only natural that the fate of techies is closely linked to the tides of the business. However, in any economy, weak or strong, some people prosper and advance while others suffer the consequences.
Blogs
Finding Balance: Things Will Come Up
By Steve Jones
I have a presentation on finding balance in your career that got quite a...
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...
Forums
The day-to-day pressures of a DBA team, and how we can work smarter with automation and AI
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The day-to-day pressures of a...
Migrate SSRS Reports to PowerBI Report Server in SQL Server 2025
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Migrate SSRS Reports to PowerBI...
Identities and Sequences III
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Identities and Sequences III
Question of the Day
Identities and Sequences III
When thinking of the Identity property for auto incrementing columns and sequences for the same action, which can be used with the BIGINT data type?
See possible answers