Leveraging the “STUFF” Function for Enhanced Data Representation and String Manipulation
Learn the basics of the T-SQL STUFF command.
Improved RCSI Ghost Cleanup in SQL Server 2022
An example of poor update performance under RCSI as compared with locking read committed. Details of an improvement in SQL Server 2022 that can help avoid the worst effects.
DAX For SQL Folks: Part I- Intro to DAX, Power BI and Data Viz
In this first article, get an introduction to DAX, it's uses, and the basics of a DAX query as compared to a T-SQL query.
Stairway to SSAS Tabular Level 6: Creating Meaningful Measures
In this sixth level of the SSAS Tabular stairway, learn how to create meaningful measures.
The Data Center that Exploded
A while back, in a Simple-Talk editorial meeting, someone bet Phil Factor that he couldn't come up with a Halloween story. To our surprise he said he could, as long as he didn't have to keep to the strict literal truth. In the end, he came up with a story about a story, and it is true that he first told the story in a data Centre at Halloween!
How Much AI Do We Need?
AI seems to be invading many different parts of our life. Today Steve wonders how much we really need.
GUID in SQL Server
This tip's objective is to present and describe several T-SQL examples for creating, using, and analyzing GUIDs and assessing their uniqueness.
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...
Forums
Multiple Deployment Processes
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How to Use sqlpackage to Detect Schema Drift Between Azure SQL Databases
Comments posted to this topic are about the item How to Use sqlpackage to...
Upgrading Admin Queries
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Upgrading Admin Queries
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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