The Redgate Advocates Predict… 3 Key Challenges to Overcome in 2022
Read what Grant, Steve and Kathi predict will be the biggest challenges for data professionals to overcome this year.
Most of Us Are Vulnerable
Security is hard, and while data professionals might not be responsible for network issues, we ought to be aware that there could be vulnerabilities that might attack our systems.
Playing popular game of Wordle using T-SQL
Popular and addictive game of Wordle is now written in Transact SQL script. With this script, you can now play this game on Microsoft SQL Server, using your favourite editor - SSMS, ADS, VS Code, and enjoy playing the game during free time, or whilst waiting for the other SQL query to complete.
Playing popular game of Wordle using T-SQL
Popular and addictive game of Wordle is now written in Transact SQL script. With this script, you can now play this game on Microsoft SQL Server, using your favourite editor - SSMS, ADS, VS Code, and enjoy playing the game during free time, or whilst waiting for the other SQL query to complete.
Stairway to SQL PowerShell Level 11: SQL Server Maintenance Using SQL PowerShell
This level will demonstrate simple techniques to perform a few important SQL Server maintenance tasks using PowerShell. We'll barely scratch the surface of what's possible but I hope it will whet your appetite.
Reporting on Changes Made by Flyway Migration Scripts
Phil Factor demonstrates some PowerShell tasks that will produce a high-level overview, or narrative, of the main differences in the metadata between two versions of a database, during Flyway Teams migrations.
SQL Identity Column Gaps and Conversion in SQL Server, Oracle and PostgreSQL
Learn about identity column sequence gaps and changing an existing column to an identity column in SQL Server, Oracle and PostgreSQL.
It Isn't Worth Automating
Every year I'm responsible for a portion of the Database Weekly newsletters. I used to do half, but right now Kathi, Grant, and I are on a rotation. Our boss puts out a schedule each year, which tells me the weeks for which I am responsible. Each January I then set up a recurring appointment […]
SQL Server Dacpac in Azure Data Studio
Introduction This article will introduce you to the SQL Server Dacpac in Azure Data Studio. We will also learn about the Bacpac. In the Azure Data Studio, we have an extension named SQL Server Dacpac which allows us to deploy, extract Dacpacs, create a database from a Bacpac and export a schema and data to […]
Power BI Zoom and Focus
In this article we look at how to add the zoom feature to your charts and graphs in Power BI reports for a better user experience.
Blogs
Adding an HTTP MCP Server to VSCode
By Steve Jones
I wrote earlier this week about the SQL MCP Server using the Data API...
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...
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