The Lost Laptop Crisis
Losing a laptop isn't something most of us would want to deal with, usually because of the expense. However, there may be other implications that concern you. Share your worries with us today.
How to Create Ten 200GB Test Databases in 60 Seconds
In a recent survey run SQL Server Central, 58% of respondents admitted that their test database is an exact copy of their production database. Many of these respondents concede that they should be removing sensitive data, but aren’t. It seems that the desire to have realistic data will, for many, trump the requirement to keep sensitive data out of development and test environments. In this blog post, Redgate's Jason Crease introduces the new 'SQL Instant Clone' and explains how it could help.
Crossing Azure Borders
Steve Jones is pleased to see some changes at Azure that make the database a stronger platform.
Knee-Jerk Wait Statistics : PAGELATCH
Paul Randal adds another chapter to his thorough series on knee-jerk wait statistics, focusing on the often-misunderstood PAGELATCH_XX waits.
SQL Prompt Tips #4 - System Objects
A quick tip to help you get system object suggestions from SQL Prompt.
SQL Server Reporting Services General Best Practices
Ghanesh Prasad discusses 12 best practices any developer or DBA should follow when working on a SSRS project.
Hello Azure: Azure IaaS - Getting Started
A new series to take you through the basics of how to get started using Azure as your own personal lab.
Virtual Failback
The pressure to move to virtual systems is increasing, but is there a fallback if you have issues?
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...
Forums
Managing Incidents and Fighting Fires
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Backing Up a DMK
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Backing Up a DMK
The Quiet Part
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Quiet Part
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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