Why Clone Fails: Discovering the Hardware Beneath Azure SQL MI
In this next part of the series on Managed Instance, we see how to discover a bit about the internals of how the instance is being run. Learn how to kill and respawn a Managed Instance.
Retrieving SQL Server Index Properties with INDEXPROPERTY
SQL Server has several functions to assist with meta data about the server, databases, indexes, and more. In this tip, we will look at how to get index information for indexes in a database using the INDEXPROPERTY function.
Stairway to Transaction Log Management in SQL Server, Level 5: Managing the Log in Full Recovery Mode
In FULL recovery mode it is possible to do a point-in-time restore of a database. It is thankfully a rare event. Tony explains what's involved
The Technical Debt Anchor
Technical debt is something all of us deal with in our systems, and today Steve has a few thoughts on the impact of debt on database sysstems.
SQL Server Developer Standard Edition: A Gift to Developers!
Starting in SQL Server 2025, a new edition is available for installation: SQL Server Developer Standard Edition. This article dives into this edition, the problems it solves, and why it is a great addition for development teams that use SQL Server!
The Data Warehousing Choice
What is your choice for data warehousing? Is it a cloud platform? Which one is attractive to you?
The Hidden Cost of MAXDOP: CPU Spikes, Query Slowdowns, and What We Learned
Misusing MAXDOP can silently kill performance across your SQL Server. In this deep dive, we uncover how one bad query caused CPU meltdown, run real-world tests, and show how tuning—not parallelism—often holds the true fix.
Recovering data in SQL Server without full backup
There are multiple reasons for no full backup: corrupted backups, taking too much time to restore, etc. In this post, I want to show an alternative for these cases, an ace up one’s sleeve, that you can use to recover data.
Shades and Reflecting on SQLBits and the Bright Future of Data
There is something magical about SQLBits. Whether it is the technical sessions, the sense of community and fun, or the relentless commitment to learning about the latest innovation, this event continues to serve as a pulse check for where data is today and where it’s going tomorrow. This year’s SQLBits at the ExCel in London […]
How to Choose the Right Tool for MS SQL to PostgreSQL Migration
Learn about a few different options for migrating from Microsoft SQL Server to PostgreSQL.
Blogs
The PASS Summit on Tour in Dallas
By Steve Jones
The PASS Summit goes on tour this year, with a September stop in Dallas....
SQL Server Auto-settings: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
By Kevin3NF
Settings That Could Be Hurting Your Performance If you’ve ever created a new SQL...
Bad Request Error when Running PowerShell Command in Azure Devops
I needed to run a PowerShell cmdlet in an Azure Devops pipeline. The cmdlet...
Forums
How a Legacy Logic Choked SQL Server in a 30-Year-Old Factory
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Has the PK been used --
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Has the PK been used...
Has the PK been used --
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Has the PK been used...
Question of the Day
Has the PK been used --
You're analyzing a query execution plan in SQL Server to determine whether the query optimizer chose to use a primary key index. Which Dynamic Management View (DMV) would you use to verify the usage of the primary key in the plan?
See possible answers