The harsh reality of charitable IT work
At work in IT, we can wander around looking important with no apparent useful skills whatsoever. When working outside the bubble of the industry, things are different.
A New Recovery Tool for Your Toolbelt
Learning a new skill is always helpful, especially for backup and restore. Steve Jones talks about an idea from the SQLCAT team.
Azure Text Analytics and Power BI
In this tip we look at how to analyze textual data to gain insight from freeform text using Azure Text Analytics and Power BI.
Deploying Data and Schema Together with SQL Compare or SQL Change Automation
You want to use SQL Compare or SQL Change Automation (SCA) to create or update a database, and at the same time ensure that its data is as you expect. You want to avoid running any additional PowerShell scripting every time you do it, and you want to keep everything in source control, including the data. You just want to keep everything simple. Phil Factor demonstrates how it's done, by generating MERGE scripts from a stored procedure.
Querying Master Database DMVs in Azure SQL Database
Learn how you can query information in the logical server's master database from an Azure SQL Database.
From Source Control to Database using SQL Compare Command Line
Giorgi Abashidze explains how his team use SQL Compare Command line to automate database deployments for their customers, without having access to the real staging or production databases, merely by using our development database contained under TFS Source Control.
How Does Accelerated Database Recovery Work?
Accelerated Database Recovery is new with SQL Server 2019 and Azure SQL Database and used to decrease the time for rolling back large operations and database recovery. In this article, Forrest McDaniel explains how it works.
Analyze and Improve SQL Server Backup Schedule
Daily Operations | Database Backup Schedule | Time Savings - In this tip we look at a script you can use to help you better schedule when SQL Server backups are run so there is not contention with backups running on multiple instances at the same time.
Product Platform Teams
Today Steve notes that DevOps isn't going to eliminate Ops, even if developers support their own applications.
Blogs
ISACA AI Material/Exam Prep Discount (May 18 – June 30, 2026)
By Brian Kelley
If you are considering any of the ISACA AI certs like the Advanced Artificial...
A Fabric solution can be very cost effective
By ChrisJenkins
Are you currently using Microsoft Fabric or considering migrating to it? If so, there...
Track SQL Server Configuration Changes Using the Error Log
By SQLPals
Track SQL Server Configuration Changes Using the Error Log If you...
Forums
Before Using AI with Business Data, Read This
Artificial intelligence tools are quickly becoming part of daily business operations, from document analysis...
Designing SQL Server ETL Pipelines That Don't Break at Scale
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Designing SQL Server ETL Pipelines...
Detecting Deadlocks Quickly
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Detecting Deadlocks Quickly
Question of the Day
Detecting Deadlocks Quickly
In the Database Engine, when a deadlock is detected, what does the detection interval shrink to (in time)?
See possible answers