Maintenance Windows
Is it better to ask forgiveness than permission? Some people take that approach to maintenance windows, but that isn't permissible in the cloud.
Migrating SSIS packages to Azure - Lift and Shift using Azure Data Factory
Unlike an on premises SQL Server, Integration Services (SSIS) works very differently on Azure. If there are requirements to run our existing SSIS packages on Azure, then we need to understand our options. In this article we will talk about our options for migrating SSIS to Azure and what components are required to migrate SSIS packages. […]
Cherry-picking Migrations using Flyway
Describing the two main use cases for occasional "cherry picking" of Flyway database migration scripts: back-filling emergency production hotfixes to version control and managing parallel development streams.
Query Audit data in Azure SQL Database using Kusto Query Language (KQL)
In this article we look at how you can user the Kusto Query Language (KQL) for querying Azure SQL Database audit data.
Malleable Source Control
Git has proved to be a better fit to the needs and workflow of a database development team than anything that came before. Git is valuable because it encourages branching and merging, giving more choice in the way that your team can work. Due to the ease with which you can adapt Git, there is […]
I Hate To Send This Email
Steve Jones wonders how many of us have had to send, or will have to send this email.
Solving FIFO Queues Using Windowed Functions
One common request often seen in T-SQL is working with queues of information. In this piece, J. Drew Allen will show to use windowing functions and the OVER clause to process a FIFO queue.
Automating Migrations for Multiple Databases using Flyway
During development you need a fast, automated way to build multiple copies of a database on any development or test server, with each database at the right version. This article provides a PowerShell automation script for Flyway that will do the job.
Exploring Four Simple Time Series Forecasting Methods with R Examples
In this article we explore four simple time series forecasting methods using R: the Mean Method, the Naive Method, the Seasonal Naive method and the Simple Moving Average Method.
Expanded Support for Non-Windows SQL Server
Steve is excited that SQL Server is moving to a new platform.
Blogs
Advice I Like: Respect
By Steve Jones
“Don’t aim to have others like you; aim to have them respect you.” –...
Blue Sky Programming – The Optimism Trap
Many years ago, before I joined Oracle, I was working on a major modernisation...
Setting Up a Mac for Data Engineering and AI Work
If you work with data pipelines, SQL, notebooks, or machine learning models, a Mac...
Forums
SQL Art, Part 4: Happy 4th of July — A British DBA's Guide to Celebrating a War We Don't Talk About
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Art, Part 4: Happy...
locking down agent for new user on our dev machine
hi , a new user wants to be able to add sql agent jobs...
SQL Server Enum Implementation: A Single-Row View Strategy for Avoiding Magic Values
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Server Enum Implementation: A...
Question of the Day
BIT_COUNT I
In SQL Server 2025, I have a table (dbo.UserPermission) that contains this data:
UserID UserPermissions 15 23 37What is returned when I run this code:
select bit_count(UserPermissions) as PermissionCount from dbo.UserPermission where UserID = 3;See possible answers