Automated Patching of SQL Server IaaS VMs
Marcin Policht gives an overview of automated management features based on the SQL Server IaaS Agent Azure VM extension.
Version Control - Just Start Doing It?
Read a call to get started using Version Control with your database code with a few ideas on how this can help you.
Who's a Good Developer?
Is there a way to tell who the good developers are? Steve Jones has a few thoughts on why this is an issue.
The Zen of Code Reviews: Best Practices
If you don't feel that you are getting helpful and comprehensive feedback from code reviews, it may well be your fault. Unless you are considerate to your reviewers in a number of ways, they might find it difficult to check your code and provide helpful advice. What ways? Michael Sorens outlines the eight golden rules that, if you follow them, might even even make your code a pleasure to review!
Excel File Data Validation for SQL Server Imports
Jeffrey Yao suggests a solution to validate Excel data via PowerShell and Regular Expressions.
MCSA 70-462 Training Kit Preparation: Hyper-V Lab Environment Setup
If you are planning on taking the Microsoft Certification Exam for 70-462, this guide provides the step-by-step instructions to completely setup your Hyper-V lab environment used in the official training kit.
Blogs
Catching Up On SQLOrlando
By Andy Warren
Somehow two years have elapsed since my last update; hopefully it won’t be that...
Advice I Like: Pyramid Schemes
By Steve Jones
If someone is trying to convince you it’s not a pyramid scheme, it’s a...
Using Prompt AI for a Travel Data Analysis
By Steve Jones
I was looking back at my year and decided to see if SQL Prompt...
Forums
Database file shrink issue.
Hi experts, I have a 3+ TB database on a 2019 sql server which...
The North Star for the Year
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The North Star for the...
Multiple Escape Characters
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Multiple Escape Characters
Question of the Day
Multiple Escape Characters
In SQL Server 2025, I run this code (in a database with the appropriate collation):
SELECT UNISTR('%*3041%*308A%*304C%*3068 and good night', '%*') AS 'A Classic';
What is returned? See possible answers