Changes are Coming to the SQLServerCentral Forums
SQLServerCentral is getting an upgrade, and Steve Jones has a few words.
Keeping up to, and down with, Date
It is foolish to insist on reading only up-to-date books on technology. Nothing beats getting the broad perspective.
Using R to Identify Key Features Quickly
Typical BI dashboards display data summaries like counts and averages. We use R to extend on these to identify key associations in a dataset.
Using SQLite with PowerShell and SQL Server
When you combine PowerShell and SQLite, you can perform powerful magic. Phil Factor is in awe of SQLite and gives a brief demonstration of how easy it is to use. Just to encourage anyone who is unfamiliar with the database, he includes a giant-sized SQLite version of the old PUBS database that the first generation of RDBMS developers cut their teeth on.
An Introduction to SQL Server Containers
Get the basics of what a container is and how this can work with SQL Server.
How to run SSIS Project as a SQL Job
In this piece by Pilip Horan, learn how to create an SSIS catalog and run a project as a SQL Agent Job.
SQL Server Ad Hoc Access to OLE DB Provider Has Been Denied Error
I was trying to use OPENROWSET to query a remote database and I experienced the following error "Ad hoc access to OLE DB provider has been denied. You must access this provider through a linked server". When I ran this same query using a sysadmin account it worked fine. Why doesn't this work for other logins?
Dynamic Data Masking Feature in SQL Server 2016
Microsoft has introduced very impressive new security feature in SQL Server 2016 called Dynamic Data Masking (DDM).Dynamic Data Masking allow user to decide how much of the sensitive data to reveal with minimal impact on the application layer.
Blogs
A New Word: Dolorblindness
By Steve Jones
dolorblindness – n. the frustration that you’ll never be able to understand another person’s...
Claude Code Helps Analyze Test Data Manager Log Files
By Steve Jones
I had a customer ask about analyzing their Test Data Manager (TDM) usage to...
PowerPoint to HTML with Claude AI
By Steve Jones
I had an idea for an animated view of a sales tool, and started...
Forums
Optimism Without Illusion or Why AI Needs Blunt Technologists
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Optimism Without Illusion or Why...
SSIS with VS2022 64/32 issue with Excel files
Hi all, I'm trying to do classic scenario for loading multiple Excel files into...
Case part is sloooooow
Hi So the case statement is slowing this down - but for the life...
Question of the Day
The String Distance I
In SQL Server 2025, what is returned by this code:
SELECT EDIT_DISTANCE('tim', 'tom')
Assume preview features are enabled. See possible answers