This Friday's poll looks at the time after deployment. Can you tell if things were successful? Do you have a formal way to determine if the changes are causing issues?

How to Eliminate Gaps in Identity Values in SQL Server by Disabling the Identity Cache

by Additional Articles

Database Journal

IDENTITY

Learn how to remove gaps in Identity values in SQL Server caused by Identity Cache.

SQL Clone for Unit Testing Databases

by Site Owners

Redgate

SQL Clone

Phil Factor demonstrates how to use SQL Clone to create 'disposable' SQL Server databases, for development and testing work. You can spin up a clone, use it to unit test your code, messing up the clone in the process, then reset the clone in seconds, ready for the next test.

SQL Server Common Table Expression vs Temp Table

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MSSQLTips.com

In this tip we look at how to use Common Table Expressions CTE in SQL Server including the syntax, use cases, using more than 1 CTE at the same time and recursive CTEs with a parameter.

Create and deploy Azure Resource Manager templates by using the Azure portal

by Deepak Prasad Sahu

SQLServerCentral

This article will explain and help to create and deploy ARM templates using the Azure portal. When Azure was first created, Azure resources were managed using the Azure service management (ASM), which is also known as “Classic”. Now this has been replaced and is called the Azure resource manager (ARM) API. ARM is the deployment […]

Date and Time Conversions Using SQL Server

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MSSQLTips.com

There are many instances when dates and times don't show up at your doorstep in the format you'd like it to be, nor does the output of a query fit the needs of the people viewing it.

Introduction to SQL Server Security — Part 6

by Additional Articles

SimpleTalk

SQL Server security

SQL Server has many tools used to make it secure. In this article, Robert Sheldon demonstrates several of these features including SQL Server Configuration Manager and the Vulnerability Assessment tool.

Databases made for Ops, not 'Oops!'

by Phil Factor

SQLServerCentral

Monitoring

Just as you write a unit test before writing the code, so you must devise the means to monitor a database, to ensure its smooth operation, before creating the database.