Consuming JSON Formatted API Data in 2016
Natively consume JSON data from API sources with SQL 2016 and CLR
The Enterprise DBA Mindset as a Practical Problem-solving Approach
In order to keep the demands of the job under control, any DBA needs to automate as many as possible of the suitable tasks that their role demands. What makes a task suitable? How do you judge whether it is worthwhile? Can we take a 'managed', consistent, decision? Joshua Feierman explains the practicalities with a real example.
Stairway to Database Design Level 2: Domains, Constraints and Defaults
A clear understanding of SQL Data Types and domains is a fundamental requirement for the Database Developer, but it is not elementary. If you select the most appropriate data type, it can sidestep a variety of errors. Furthermore, if you then define the data domains as exactly as possible via constraints, you can catch a variety of those problems that would otherwise bedevil the work of the application programmer.
CU#6 for SQL Server 2014 SP1 Updated
Please re-apply CU#6 for SQL Server 2014 SP1 as it has been updated.
How to Identify Useful SQL Server Table Statistics
In this article, Fikrat Azizov describes the different approaches to maintaining statistics and shows how you can use the data from your servers for intelligent statistics updates.
More Overloads
The overloading of terms creates confusion, which means that communication is more difficult.
Third Party Visuals in Power BI Desktop
Power BI is as extensible as it is powerful In this article you will see how to impress your users with added visuals
Is a RID Lookup faster than a Key Lookup?
For T-SQL Tuesday #78, Aaron Bertrand takes a look at whether RID Lookups are faster than Key Lookups, with a small battery of fairly simple duration tests.
Great Developers
A great developer is worth more than an average one, but how much more? Steve Jones has a few thoughts for you to think about.
Blogs
Narrow Task Decomposition in AI Pipeline Agents
A nightly load into sales_fact fails. Ask an orchestrating agent to break down the...
Car Update: August 2026
By Steve Jones
It’s been some time since I provided a car update, so I decided to...
Microsoft Fabric OneLake Shortcuts: When to Use Them and When Not To
By James Serra
An architecture scenario Imagine separate Sales, Finance, Shared Data, and Executive Analytics workspaces. Sales...
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Backing Up a DMK
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BIT_COUNT in SQL Server
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Question of the Day
Backing Up a DMK
In SQL Server 2025, I have a database with a Database Masker Key (DMK). I want to back up this key and keep a copy offline. When do I have to open this key before running the backup?
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