Words vs Data
Are you clear in your reporting. Steve notes that sometimes we might leave too much up to interpretation by the end user.
SSMS Export to Excel
You’re running an ad-hoc query in a Microsoft SQL Server database with SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and need to further analyze the result set in an Excel spreadsheet. How do you export the data?
Throwing Iron at the Cloud and AI
As organizations move to the cloud, the once essential role of the Database Administrator (DBA) as the guardian of system optimization, has been overshadowed, often viewed as a bottleneck to innovation. Yet, as technology evolves, the one thing I know is history repeats itself, and optimization skills are once again emerging as a critical necessity. […]
Data Debt
The idea of data debt seems both silly and obvious to Steve. We all have too much data and it's out of control.
JSON in Microsoft SQL Server: A Comprehensive Guide
Introduction JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) has become a popular data format for storing and exchanging information. Microsoft SQL Server, starting from version 2016, introduced built-in support for JSON, allowing developers to work with JSON data more efficiently within the relational database environment. This article will explore how to store, retrieve, and manipulate JSON data in […]
How to rename a SQL Server database
There may come a time when you want to or need to rename a database. In this tip we look at a couple different options.
Creating a Linked Server in Amazon RDS for SQL Server: A Step-by-Step Guide
Linked servers in Amazon RDS for SQL Server allow seamless connectivity to remote databases for distributed queries and data integration. In this article, I guide you through the step-by-step process of creating a linked server using SQL commands, from setting up authentication to testing the connection. Learn best practices, advanced configurations, and essential considerations, including why you can't use SSMS for linked server setup in RDS. This professional guide is tailored for experienced database administrators looking to optimize cross-server operations.
Creating vs. Maintaining
When you create something, do you think about the future? Steve asks the question today.
A Practical Guide to Using Azure Key Vault in Enterprise Deployments
Key vaults define security boundaries for stored secrets. It allows you to securely store service or application credentials like passwords and access keys as secrets. All secrets in your key vault are encrypted with a software key. When you use Key Vault, you no longer need to store security information in your applications. Not having to store security information in applications eliminates the need to make this information part of the code.
The Era of Cloned Humans
AI has tremendous possibilities but also a number of security issues. Steve highlights one scary security issue today.
Blogs
Moving On-Prem PostgreSQL to the Cloud: Picking the Right Path for Big Tables
Every PostgreSQL migration eventually hits the same fork in the road. The database is...
A Spread of Vacation
By Steve Jones
I’m off on vacation today. Which is a little weird as I just got...
How AgentDBA Identifies Backup Failures
By Arun Sirpal
Every DBA has a box like this. Sitting untouched for months. Nobody’s proud of...
Forums
Have you done a Mid year check in?
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Have you done a Mid...
From SQL Server On-Premises to Claude Desktop: How I built a Full MCP Pipeline
Comments posted to this topic are about the item From SQL Server On-Premises to...
Independence Day 2026
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Independence Day 2026
Question of the Day
Independence Day 2026
In the original Independence Day movie (1996), what type of computer did Jeff Goldblum use to connect to the alien mainframe? Take a guess, don't look it up or ask AI.
See possible answers