Whatever happened to Database Table Refactoring?
Phil Factor ponders why most people lost their initial enthusiasm for refactoring databases iteratively, in parallel with the evolutionary design of the rest of the system.
How to Confuse the SQL Server Query Optimizer
Want to 'trick' SQL Server into performing millions of logical reads to return data, when only are few thousand were really required? In this article, Gail Shaw examines three common forms of generic SQL that can and will confuse the SQL Server Optimizer to the point that it generates and reuses very inefficient execution plans.
Logging and Error Handling for SQL Stored Procedures
Learn how to develop and test a template for logging and error handling in a multi-step SQL stored procedure
T-SQL Window Functions Speed Phreakery
Before SQL Server had SQL window functions, SQL Server developers had to use all manner of tricks and algorithms to come up with ways to rapidly process large amounts of data. Do we need these techniques now that we can express a SQL task in terms of window functions? Kathi revisits a famous SQL challenge to find out.
Creating SQL databases on Azure Blob storage
Creating a database in SQL Server running in on-premises with a dedicated storage location for your data in Windows Azure Blob Storage.
Monitoring Availability Group Replica Synchronization
If you are deploying SQL Server Availability Groups, one of the important aspects of a successful deployment is monitoring the synchronization of the secondary replica databases with the primary replica - but there are multiple ways to do this. Jonathan Kehayias goes through each, explaining their different benefits and drawbacks.
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.
Blogs
Upgrading SQL Server Containers on the Laptop
By Steve Jones
I don’t have SQL Server installed on my laptop. In an effort to keep...
How to Find Expensive Queries in Amazon Redshift
Slow-running queries can degrade your Redshift cluster’s performance and lead to increased costs. Identifying...
The Notification Trap: How Input Fatigue Is Killing Deep Work in Tech
By gbargsley
If you've been here before, you know this blog is usually about SQL Server,...
Forums
SQL 2019 instance with AG, across 2 Windows 2016 OS servers - OSin-place upgrade
Hi all Can I get some perspective from the community please on performing in-place...
How Long is a Long I/O?
Comments posted to this topic are about the item How Long is a Long...
T-SQL Trigonometric Functions in SQL Server
Comments posted to this topic are about the item T-SQL Trigonometric Functions in SQL...
Question of the Day
How Long is a Long I/O?
In SQL Server 2025, a long I/O is recorded in the error log with message 833. How long much an I/O request be outstanding before this message is written to the log?
See possible answers