Declarative SQL: Using UNIQUE Constraints
In SQL, you can express the logic of what you want to accomplish without spelling out the details of how the database should do it. Nowhere is this more powerful than in constraints. In this introduction to Declarative SQL, Joe Celko demonstrates how you can write portable code that performs well and executes some complex logic, merely by creating unique constraints.
Security Decisions
This week Steve Jones looks at how we make secutiy decisions for our systems, and whether this is really the best way to do things.
Exploration of SQL Server 2016 Always Encrypted – Part 1
With the introduction of SQL Server 2016 you now have a new way to encrypt columns called Always Encrypted. With Always Encrypted, data is encrypted at the application layer via ADO.NET. This means you can encrypt your confidential data with your .NET application prior to the data being sent across the network to SQL Server. In this article, Greg Larson explains his experience with exploring setting up a table that stores always encrypted data.
Convert Rows into Columns
Convert the rows of a SELECT statement into a predetermined number of columns.
How Much Eventual Consistency Do You Have?
This week Steve Jones wants to know if you have eventual consistency in your environment?
Integrating Big Data Applications into Operational Environments
Integrating big data appliance solutions into a data warehouse requires preparation and forethought. DBAs and business data consumers must work together both to address the implementation issues above and to meet the needs of multiple business data consumers. Lockwood Lyon discusses the topic.
Are We Engineers?
Steve Jones continues the never ending argument of whether software developers deserve the moniker of engineer.
Database Continuous Integration with SQL CI and Jenkins
If it's deemed important to test application code as part of a CI process, the same must apply to the database. In this blog post, Jason Crease shows how to create a smooth process where you can build and deploy databases alongside your application code from within Jenkins with the SQL CI plugin.
Blogs
Funny Money: #SQLNewBlogger
By Steve Jones
While wandering around the documentation looking for some Question of the Day topics, I...
Why Database AI Agents need Layers?
By Arun Sirpal
Third part in my Ai series with databases. When building AI solutions within the...
Un-Migrating From the Cloud: T-SQL Tuesday #199
By Steve Jones
This month we have a very interesting invitation from Koen Verbeeck. He has hosted...
Forums
How Do the Experts Become Experts?
Comments posted to this topic are about the item How Do the Experts Become...
Stairway to Reliable Database Deployments Level 4 – Preparing for Production Deployment
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Stairway to Reliable Database Deployments...
Secure Communications
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Secure Communications
Question of the Day
Secure Communications
As of June 2026, what is the best version of TLS to use with SQL Server?
See possible answers