Adjusting Model
This Friday Steve Jones looks at the topic of defaults and whether you use the model database to adjust yours.
Hidden Tricks To SQL Server Table Cleanup
How to delete millions of rows with virtually no contention.
An Introduction to the OpenPOWER Foundation
In a bid to challenge Intel's dominance of high performance computing environments, IBM have introduced OpenPOWER, a flexible open-source framework based on their POWER processor architecture. Robert Sheldon looks at the potential of this new platform.
The Case for Upgrading
When is it worth upgrading your SQL Server? It's a question Steve Jones explores today.
Understand the Limitations of SQL Server Dynamic Data Masking
Dynamic data masking provides a simple way to implement obfuscation of private data. However it's important to understand the limitations, and to keep in mind that it is not true encryption and that the data cannot be protected in all scenarios. Aaron Bertrand explains.
Creating Dashboards for Mobile Devices with Datazen – Part 3
With the recent acquisition of Datazen by Microsoft, if you have SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Edition or later with Software Assurance, you can download and use Datazen to create visually appealing dashboards for mobile devices across all the major platforms at no additional cost. In this article, Arshad Ali demonstrates creating data source, data views and then creating dashboards using them with Datazen Publisher.
Software Estimates
It seems the software industry doesn't do a good job of planning and estimating software development efforts.
Free Workshop: Microsoft Data Platform Modernisation - London, Sep 24
Are you an ISV and/or commercial software developer using SQL Server? Are you considering how to upgrade your application to take advantage of new SQL Server 2014 and would like to know more about how Microsoft can help your migration and sales/marketing efforts? Register using this invitation key 9ABED3
Selective Updates with ASP.NET SignalR
Many developers get the misleading perception that ASP.NET SignalR merely helps to build a chat application or provides live updates of news, stock and score tickers. In reality, ASP.NET SignalR has a broader scope. In this article, Dino Esposito covers a few techniques to make selective SignalR updates to pages behind an ASP.NET authentication layer.
Blogs
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...
FinOps for Kubernetes: Leveraging OpenCost, KubeGreen, and Kubecost for Cost Efficiency
In the era of cloud-native applications, Kubernetes has become the default standard platform for...
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