Backup Architecture
Continuous backup in Cosmos DB doesn't quite work as Steve would expect. He has a few comments on why it is important you know how your backup and restore system works.
How to Compare Tables in Azure Data Studio
Learn about the Schema Compare feature in Azure Data Studio.
Build SQL Server CLR Triggers
In this article we look at how to create SQL Server triggers using Common Runtime Language (CLR) along with examples and a step-by-step guide.
DevOps 101 with Grant Fritchey
More and more organizations are turning to DevOps to improve the efficiency and quality of software delivery, and increase value to their business. But what exactly is DevOps and what does it mean for you and your organization?
Disaster Recovery in Another Region
Years ago I worked at a large company, and we purchased a SAN appliance to consolidate our storage. This was at a time when the majority of our servers used locally attached storage. This was a big purchase, and we knew that we had to plan for issues. So, we actually purchased two appliances and […]
An Active Job Search
Steve wants you to manage your career and actively find the job that is best for you.
Running SQL Server on Oracle and Google Cloud
In this article, we will analyze the various out-of-the-box deployment options Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Google Cloud Platform offers to host a Microsoft SQL Server database. This information can prove to be handy while deciding on the best cloud provider to host a given application or database.
ICYMI: What's behind the explosive growth in data?
In case you missed it: IDC’s recent Global DataSphere Forecast, 2021-2025, predicts that global data creation and replication will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23% over the forecast period. But what’s causing the growth? Where will all of that extra data be stored? And how should we, as data professionals, prepare for it?
Learn Python Complex Built-in Data Types including List, Tuple, Range, Dictionary and Set
In this article we present complex built-in data types in Python along with several examples of how to use complex data types.
SQL Log File Too Big
Is your SQL database log file too big? Maybe it is. But maybe it’s not. When log files keep growing and appear to be too big some might suggest switching to Simple recovery, shrinking the log file, and switching back to Full recovery. While this will work to shrink the file and free up disk […]
Blogs
Microsoft announces new cybersecurity AI multi-model
By Brian Kelley
Yesterday, July 27, 2026, Microsoft announced a new cybersecurity effort called Project Perception. Included...
Getting the SQL Server MCP Server Running
By Steve Jones
If you’ve wanted a SQL Server MCP server for your databases, it’s available. The...
Introducing azsql-migration-test: Test and Validate Azure SQL Database Migrations
Introducing azsql-migration-test, a small open-source CLI that validates your Azure SQL Database migrations against...
Forums
Symmetric Key Encryption
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Symmetric Key Encryption
The “Successful Login” Dilemma: Why Your Login Auditing Strategy Might Be Hurting Your Server
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The “Successful Login” Dilemma: Why...
Building Your Own Software
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Building Your Own Software
Question of the Day
Symmetric Key Encryption
If I run this statement in SQL Server 2025, how is the password encrypted?
CREATE SYMMETRIC KEY MySymmetricKey WITH ALGORITHM = AES_256, KEY_SOURCE = 'My secret key source passphrase', IDENTITY_VALUE = 'My secret identity value' ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = 'S&perS#cretP@ssword7'; GOSee possible answers