Securing the DevOps Pipeline Part 2: Hardening Kubernetes and Cloud Security
In Part 2, we shift our focus to securing containerized deployments and cloud infrastructure. We will cover Kubernetes security hardening, real-time monitoring, infrastructure as code (IaC) security, and shifting security left to catch misconfigurations early. These strategies will help your team secure workloads in production and respond to potential threats before they lead to a security breach.
Shining a Light on Shadow AI - Responsible Data Protection When AI is Everywhere
As someone who has had the honor of delivering keynotes at both Oracle and SQL Saturday data events, I’ve spent time with professionals on both sides of the database world. I’ve held the title of database administrator, developer, engineer and architect for structured, transactional giants and the analytics-heavy ecosystems of eight different database platforms, (not […]
Are Data Breaches Inevitable?
Steve examines the idea that we might all have a data breach at some point.
How to Safely Remove a SQL Server Data File Without Downtime
Learn how to safely remove a SQL Server .ndf data file without any downtime using DBCC SHRINKFILE (EMPTYFILE). This hands-on tutorial walks through real-world Azure-based setup, data redistribution, and storage cleanup — ideal for DBAs managing enterprise SQL Server environments.
SQL ASCII Function Use and Examples
The ASCII function is used to return the ASCII value for the first character in a string.
Evergreen SQL Server
Microsoft talks about evergreen SQL, where you never need to patch your database.
Stairway to Transaction Log Management in SQL Server, Level 2: A Brief Overview of Transaction Log Architecture
In order to make it easier to understand truncation, space reuse and fragmentation in the log file, Tony gives a brief explanation of how the transaction log works.
Your SQL Server Needs Spring Cleaning, Too.
First things first: pick up that filthy keyboard, take it over to the trash can, turn it upside down, and give it a good, vigorous shake.
Data Analyst AI tool
See how ChatGPT can be used to analyze a dataset, produce charts, and train a model.
Blogs
Reverse Engineering a Physical Model Diagram
By Steve Jones
I recently wrote about a logical diagram with Redgate Data Modeler. That was interesting,...
Prepping for Certification, Part 3 of ?
By Brian Kelley
After I have understood the details for a certification test (part 1), including format...
SQL Training Black Friday Deals
By Brian Kelley
If you're looking for particular "Black Friday" deals, here is what I've seen advertised...
Forums
Best analysis approach to reduce data type length in multiple tables
Hello SSC, I hope everyone is having a happy and safe holiday season! I...
Do you separate data/log files and TempDB files on different disks using AWS EC2
Hello, I am receiving multiple direction on deploying SQL Servers in AWS EC2. ...
Service account being in local admin in AWS EC2 environment?
Hello, I am working with a company on their database administration. I am trying...
Question of the Day
A New Operator
In SQL Server 2025, what does this code return?
SELECT '1' || '0'See possible answers