Combining R and SQL Server to diagnose performance bottlenecks
Using clustering algorithms to analyse index usage data from SQL Server’s DMVs & simplify complex performance investigations.
The Rate of Change of Data
Phil Factor argues that the database should be the primary source not only of the current data values, but also of the volatility of the data, its rate of change. Surely, then, it makes sense for the database to control the caching strategy.
Generating Plots Automatically From PowerShell and SQL Server Using Gnuplot
When you are automating a number of tasks, or performing a batch of tests, you want a way of automating the production of your plots and graphs. Nothing beats a good graphical plot for giving the indications of how the process went. If you are using PowerShell and maybe also SQL Server, it pays to use a command-line plotting tool such as Gnuplot to do all the hard work. It turns out to be handy for a range of data jobs, turning PowerShell into a handy data science tool.
Using striped backups with SQL Clone
If you’re a Redgate SQL Backup customer, occasionally you’ll need to convert your SQL Backup (.sqb) files to the native SQL Server backup format (.bak), perhaps to perform native database restores on a server where SQL Backup isn’t installed. This produces a striped backup, because each thread used when making the backup will produce a separate file. Can we use a striped backup produced in this way, or indeed any striped backup, as the source for a SQL Clone image? Short answer: we can! Let’s see how that works.
Do I Need to Learn Linux and R and Python?
The SQL Server platform is growing, but Steve Jones notes that this might not really affect our jobs.
How to deploy a database plus static data using SQL Compare and SQL Data Compare
This article from Tony Davis describes how to the use the Redgate SQL Compare and SQL Data Compare GUIs to get the current version of a database schema, and its static data, into version control, and then automate database deployments from the version control system using SQL Compare's command line and PowerShell.
It’s not you, it’s me (I/O troubleshooting)
Monica Rathburn talks about a few of the more common elements she always checks for when troubleshooting I/O problems.
Audio Attacks
We will start to deal with more and more types of data. Steve Jones worries about the possibility of hacking.
Getting Started with Azure SQL Data Warehouse - Part 4
Azure SQL Data Warehouse is a new enterprise-class, elastic petabyte-scale, data warehouse service. Join Arshad Ali as he discusses round-robin and distributed tables, and how to create them. He also discusses how partitioning works in SQL Data Warehouse and looks at the impact of choosing the right distribution key. As a bonus Arshad shows you how to leverage PolyBase to quickly and easily import or export data from SQL Data Warehouse.
Blogs
PlanTrace Now Supports PostgreSQL
PlanTrace Now Supports PostgreSQL The same plan analysis you know from...
A New Word: the Kinder Surprise
By Steve Jones
the kinder surprise – . the point in your early adolescence when you realize...
Crash-Consistent Snapshot Cloning - Hyper-V Edition
If you’ve been following my T-SQL Snapshot Backup series, most of what I’ve covered...
Forums
The New Wave of Security Threats
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There's Too Much to Learn
Comments posted to this topic are about the item There's Too Much to Learn
How to Calculate Distance Between Coordinates in SQL Server
Comments posted to this topic are about the item How to Calculate Distance Between...
Question of the Day
SSoL Support on the OS
On which Linux versions is SQL Server 2025 on Linux supported?
See possible answers