Stairway to Transaction Log Management in SQL Server, Level 7: Dealing with Excessive Log Growth
This level will examine the most common problems and forms of mismanagement that lead to excessive growth of the transaction log.
Enable TDE for Databases in a SQL Server AlwaysOn Availability Group
A customer has a database that is already set up in a SQL Server Availability Group. Since this database hosts sensitive data, there is a need to encrypt the primary and all secondary replicas of the data. In this article, we will walk through how this can be done.
Everyone Wants a Piece of the AI Pie
Swiping through LinkedIn feels like watching a campsite suddenly flooded with s’mores. Every other ad, i.e. post, promises the next miracle AI service, platform, or “AI-powered” widget. It’s a frenzy that says: “If buzzwords paid the bills, we’d all be billionaires already.” I can’t fault the reasoning, there’s a lot of buzz out there telling […]
Critical Data and Insomnia
Most evenings I spend some time soaking in the tub and reading articles/watching videos on InfoSec, Data Protection and AI. It may sound like a terrible way to spend some time, but I always find it educational and I’m in shock by the lack of concern around data security, and yet….I’m not. For decades, the […]
The Double-Edged Sword of AI and Data Democratization
Agentic AI is often hailed as a game-changer by organizations, bringing autonomous decision-making, intelligent automation, and powerful predictive capabilities. However, as organizations rush to leverage these technologies, those dealing with critical data in relational databases, documents and datasets, especially personally identifiable information (PII) face a harsh reality: moving AI projects from proof-of-concept to production is […]
The Problem with AI Job Loss Headlines?
Every few weeks, headlines scream about how artificial intelligence is coming for our jobs. The narrative is often the same: white-collar professions are at risk, automation is taking over, and we’re all doomed to obsolescence.
Hack Your Brain
Now, let's be really clear up front, I don't mean getting a surgically implanted chip in your head, done on your kitchen table. Brain hacks are generally either, forming habits that are good for learning and concentration, changing how you do things to help enhance your brains function, eating differently in support of brain health, […]
Get Your Chores Done
I grew up in a pretty rural environment, in the southern US, in what's considered the Old West (Jesse James, reportedly, had a hideout a few miles from my current home, the Daltons, Belle Star, I can keep going, all came through this part of Oklahoma). Here, we call our daily tasks, like taking out […]
A Little Appreciation
I'd like to take a moment and simply voice my appreciation for Steve Jones. Steve's still on sabbatical, so I've been doing some of the work, along with my co-worker, Kellyn Gorman (who I also appreciate, very much). I'm sure you've noticed. Oh, not simply that the editorials are different. That's to be expected. Nah, […]
Best Way to Repair SQL Database: How to Restore SQL Server?
Summary: SQL Server administrators frequently enco...
Blogs
Shifting Mindsets: Why FinOps is Essential for Cloud Efficiency
By HeyMo0sh
As a DevOps practitioner, I’ve always focused on performance, scalability, and automation. But as...
March 2026 SQL Server Security Updates
By Brian Kelley
On Patch Tuesday, in addition to OS and Office security patches, Microsoft also released...
How Fabric Mirroring Transformed with SQL Server 2025
When mirroring was first released for Azure SQL Database, it used Change Data Capture...
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Multiple Deployment Processes
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How to Use sqlpackage to Detect Schema Drift Between Azure SQL Databases
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Upgrading Admin Queries
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Question of the Day
Upgrading Admin Queries
I have a query from a former DBA that we run on SQL Server 2025 to check on database metadata. This query references sys.sysaltfiles. I want to refactor this code to be more modern. Which DMV should I reference instead?
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