Working with SQL Server identity columns
SQL Server identity columns are easy to add to a table, but you must understand how they work to use them effectively. In this article, Greg Larsen explains the nuances of SQL Server identity columns.
Going Cloud Native
Lots of organizations are moving to the cloud, but having different levels of success. This change can be powerful and create tremendous opportunity, but it can also be a disappointment.
How to Enable and Disable Full Text Search for SQL Server Databases
Learn how to enable or disable full text search for a specific database on a SQL Server instance where the Full Text Search components have been setup.
Troy Hunt talks Security and compliance in estate monitoring
Troy Hunt joins Steve Jones to discuss the critical and complex role of monitoring in organizational data security and compliance.
Connect to PostgreSQL as an External Data Source using PolyBase
PolyBase is a new feature of SQL Server that allows you to connect to relational and non-relational data. You can run queries on any external data sources you might have, such as Oracle, PostgreSQL, Salesforce, MongoDB, Hadoop, etc. When paired with the CData ODBC Driver for PostgreSQL, you get access to your PostgreSQL data directly […]
Growing and Keeping Up
Trying to keep up with technology is a losing game. Better to continue to grow and learn, balanced with the rest of your life.
What Is a Cost-Based Optimizer?
When you execute a query, the database server has to figure a lot of things out. For even the simplest queries, there are usually several possible ways to get the job done.
Learning Is Challenging, So, Forgive Yourself
In addition to trying to get better at SQL Server, Redgate Software, and all the various aspects of my job, I'm also trying to get better at this whole human interaction thing AND I'm working on trying to learn PostgreSQL much more deeply. Whew! Yeah, may not seem like a whole lot, but I assure […]
To-do list: good, bad or indifferent?
Using a list to keep track of what you should work on is only as good as the plan or goal behind it.
Model and Log Trend Reversals for Time Series Data in SQL Server
This tip demonstrates models for detecting the start of periods of rising or falling financial securities prices based on exponential moving averages. The demonstration is simplified because it relies on a log to keep track of time series values as well as exponential moving averages with different period lengths.
Blogs
PlanTrace Now Supports PostgreSQL
PlanTrace Now Supports PostgreSQL The same plan analysis you know from...
A New Word: the Kinder Surprise
By Steve Jones
the kinder surprise – . the point in your early adolescence when you realize...
Crash-Consistent Snapshot Cloning - Hyper-V Edition
If you’ve been following my T-SQL Snapshot Backup series, most of what I’ve covered...
Forums
SSRS Is Dead. Here Are Your Real Options
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SSRS Is Dead. Here Are...
The Distance Metric
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Distance Metric
The New Wave of Security Threats
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The New Wave of Security...
Question of the Day
The Distance Metric
In the new VECTOR_DISTANCE() function in SQL Server 2025, the first parameter is the distance_metric. What is this?
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