A SQL Server Patching Shortcut
This post on SQL Server patching illustrates a quick and simple way of safely extracting SQL Server installation files in advance of patching a SQL Server instance.
The 2015/2016 Simple-Talk Awards
Once more Simple-Talk invites its readers to vote on the top nominations for the Simple-Talk Awards. Find out who or what has been nominated for each of this year's nine categories, and cast your vote to decide the winners - voting closes tomorrow!
Code smells versus transgressions
The oddest SQL practices can be done deliberately for good reason, but are there any that are always wrong, that are so bad that that their use should be prohibited as a matter of policy?
Move an Existing Log Shipping Database to a New Monitor Server
How to move a log shipping database to a new monitor server without removing and rebuilding the log shipping setup.
Bad Cardinality Estimates from SSMS Plans – Redux
Aaron Bertrand shares some insight about early changes to Plan Explorer that help to provide you with the most accurate information we can.
The Database Transaction Unit (DTU) Decoded
In an Azure SQL Database, you pay for a certain number of DTUs, but what are these? Steve Jones explains.
If SQL Server Runs on Linux, What's Left for April Fools Day
It’s still a bit hard to believe that SQL Server will soon run on Linux. If you think back to the early days of SQL 7, 2000, even 2005, who would have bet any money on it ever happening?
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
SSRS Is Dead. Here Are Your Real Options
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SSRS Is Dead. Here Are...
The Distance Metric
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Distance Metric
The New Wave of Security Threats
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The New Wave of Security...
Question of the Day
The Distance Metric
In the new VECTOR_DISTANCE() function in SQL Server 2025, the first parameter is the distance_metric. What is this?
See possible answers