Choosing hash distributed table vs. round-robin distributed table in Azure SQL DW Service
Designing databases to use distributed tables effectively will help you to achieve the storage and query processing benefits of the Azure SQL DW Service (SQL DW). In this article, Murshed Zaman explains the various Azure SQL Data Warehouse distributed table types, and offers guidance for choosing the type of distributed table to use and when to use it.
Free Webinar: Should your databases be Continuously Delivered?
If you want to learn more about Continuous Delivery, and where your databases fit into the picture, join Dave Farley on September 2nd for a webinar covering why databases are an essential component of CD, and how to start modernizing your software development practices.
Email Formatted HTML Table with T-SQL
Create a professional looking HTML table from T-SQL, not SSRS.
SQL Server 2016 – Introduction to Stretch Database
Beginning with SQL Server 2016 you will have the ability to store portions of a database in the cloud. Tim Radney introduces Stretch Database by looking at the applications and limitations of the new feature.
An Introduction to Real-Time Communication with SignalR
SignalR, from Microsoft, solves many of the problems that come with developing web applications that need a communication channel with the server that is effective on a variety of server and client configurations. Christos Matskas gives an overview of the library and its potential.
Database Documentation Survey
Documentation often gets left behind in software development, perhaps even more so when it comes to developing the database schema. How do you keep yours up-to-date? Do you even think you should?
Identify SQL Server Database Growth Rates
Unchecked SQL Server database growth can hurt the bottom line of organizations in the form of poor application performance and increased infrastructure costs. In this article, Marios Philippopoulos looks at whether there's an easy way to proactively obtain a recent list of the fastest-growing databases in a SQL Server instance using information captured by default in the database engine.
Deciding on a Primary Key in Oracle
Designing a system with primary keys in mind is not an easy task, and the solutions may not be the simplest. However the effort is well worth the time and trouble when you realize that it's the best way to prevent duplicate data - but how do you choose a primary key? David Fitzjarrell looks at several examples.
Learning Live Query Statistics
References and information on the Live Query Statistics feature in SQL Server 2016.
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Forums
Managing Incidents and Fighting Fires
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Backing Up a DMK
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The Quiet Part
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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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