Sweeping out SQL Server 2005
Tony Davis on why the dusty corners of many organizations still hide numerous SQL 2005 instances.
How to Get SQL Server Data Conversion Horribly Wrong
One of the most certain ways of going wrong with any relational database is to get data conversion wrong. Implicit data conversion is a good feature for the expert but can cause a lot of trouble to the unwary. These boil down to seven ways of failing to get data conversion right. Rob Sheldon explains and gives sage advice on how to avoid the problems.
How DBAs Can Adopt the Craftsman Mindset
The job of a DBA requires a fusion of skill and knowledge. To acquire this requires a craftsman mindset. Craftsmen find that the better they get at the work, the more enjoyable the work gets, and the more successful they become. Deliberate practice, Specialization and an appetite for overcoming difficulty are good habits to deliberately adopt to successfully grow those craftsmanlike skills to the point that you become “so good they can’t ignore you”.
How to Categorize Uncategorized Data
Using SQL to perform cluster analysis to gain insight into data with unknown groups
QA for Data
Often DBAs and developers might make quick data changes to correct user problems or application shortfalls. Steve Jones notes that we can make mistakes, and perhaps we should ensure we QA, or at least log, our changes.
Selecting Data Using the TOP Clause
There are times when you don’t what to return a complete set of records. When you have this kind of requirement to only select the TOP X number of items Transact SQL (TSQL) has the TOP clause to meet your needs. In this article Greg Larsen explores how to select a subset of data from a record set.
Stairway to SQL Server Security Level 8: Data Encryption
This stairway level will explore data protection through encryption, both when the data is in motion across the network or in memory and at rest in a table. You’ll learn about the encryption key hierarchy and the various kinds of keys you can use to encrypt data, as well as how you can manage the keys or let SQL Server do it for you.
SQL Server Spatial Indexes
Spatial Data in SQL Server has special indexing because it has to perform specialised functions. It is able, for example, to break down an indexed space into a grid hierarchy by using a technique called tessellation. This is a rules-based system that, when you compare a shape to an index, works out how many cells in the the grid hierarchy are touched by that shape , and how deep down the grid hierarchy to search. There is powerful magic in Spatial Indexes as Surenda and Roy explain.
Prevent and Log Certain SQL Server Login Attempts
Aaron Bertrand presents a more elegant to prevent developers from attempting to log into production databases using application logins (and to log any such attempts).
Blogs
Local LLM Models at SQL Saturday Boston 2025
By Steve Jones
I’m starting a long trip at Boston this weekend. I’ll be there Saturday speaking,...
3 things you must do to start data quality management right
As a data & AI strategist who’s seen countless projects succeed and fail, I...
Set Theory vs. Batch Mode in SQL Server
By SQLPals
Set Theory vs. Batch Mode in SQL Server Not long ago,...
Forums
Changing the Recovery Time
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Getting More Time from AI
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When Page Prefetching Takes a Back Seat – Exploring Trace Flag 652 in SQL Server
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Question of the Day
Changing the Recovery Time
I want to change the recovery time for a database running on SQL Server 2022. What are my options for setting the value in my ALTER DATABASE statement. If I run this code, what can I use in place of the xxx to define what 12 means?
ALTER DATABASE Finance SET TARGET_RECOVERY_TIME = 12 xxx;See possible answers