The Complexity of Branches

Branching code creates complexity to development and should be undertaken with caution.

Comparing Networking Options in Azure

What are your options for connecting to an Azure VM? Sure, a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connection will get you started but you'll soon need a full secure VPN connection. Azure can provide three different options for doing this: Point-to-Site (P2S), Site-to-Site (S2S), and ExpressRoute, but what are their relative advantages, and which one is right for the way you need to use Azure?

Byte Me: SOS

Stairway to Database Source Control Level 5: Working with Others (Distributed Repository)

This level starts with an overview of how versioning works in Git, a DVCS, and suggests a sensible database project versioning strategy. It then offers some simple, but illustrative, practical examples showing how to share database changes and deal gracefully with any conflicting changes.

Differences between Delete and Truncate in SQL Server

Atul Gaikwad details the differences between DELETE and TRUNCATE, including how they vary in terms of being rolled back.

Half Baked Features

Steve Jones notes that some features aren't fully developed, but that's not a reason to avoid releasing them.

Row Level Security with SQL Server 2016: Part 2 - Blocking Updates at the Row Level

In this article, Greg Larson reviews why a block predicate is important when you implement row level security using SQL Server 2016.

Dynamic Data Masking

Deploy data masking as part of your SQL security strategy.

Software Maturity with Release Management

Adding a release management tool to your software development is a sign of maturity.

SQL Server RTM - June 1

The next version of SQL Server 2016 will be released on June 1, 2016, which means you can start planning those upgrades.