Converting Rows to Columns (PIVOT) and Columns to Rows (UNPIVOT) in SQL Server
Learn how to convert row values into column values (PIVOT) and column values into row values (UNPIVOT) in SQL Server.
Reusing T-SQL Code
Alex Kuznetsov, in an article taken from his book 'Defensive Database Programming with SQL Server', shows how DRY principles can be put in practice with constraints, stored procedures, triggers, UDFs and indexes.
Archive Every Day
There are challenges with the large scale archiving of data. Steve Jones talks about rethinking this as a daily process rather than a periodic one.
Protecting Yourself from SQL Injection in SQL Server - Part 2
Aaron Bertrand has some advice on how to protect yourself from SQL Injection, looking at some specific common scenarios.
SQL Monitor Custom Metric: WriteLog wait time
This metric shows Writelog wait time in ms, per elapsed second. Writelog wait types occur when the log cache is being flushed to disk. If this happens all the time, it may suggest disk bottlenecks where the transaction log is stored.
When Should We Be Cleaning Data?
Part of our job as a data professional often deals with the movement and cleaning of data. However, should we be trying to reduce the work we do? Move the burden to the application? Steve Jones has a few comments.
How to Get SQL Server Dates and Times Horribly Wrong
One of the times that you need things to go right is when you are doing analysis and reporting. This is generally based on time and date. A sure-fire way of getting managers upset is to get the figures horribly wrong by messing up the way that you handle datetime values in SQL Server. In the interests of peace, harmony and a long career in BI, Robert Sheldon outlines some of the worst mistakes you can make when using SQL Server dates.
Demystifying the use of CASE in an ORDER BY statement
Chuck Hoffman exposes the mysteries of getting CASE statements to work in dynamic ORDER BY statements.
System Stored Procedures for SQL Azure Linked Servers
Microsoft released the preview version of Azure SQL Database V12 in December of 2014. As a database administrator, you might wonder about the schema and security of these new data marts. Microsoft has supplied system stored procedures for the database developer to query the Linked Servers for this type of meta data, as John Miner explains.
Blogs
SQL Server Transaction Log Forensics: Preserving Evidence During an Incident
By SQLPals
SQL Server Transaction Log Forensics: Preserving Evidence During an Incident SQL...
What Does It Mean to Make Data AI-Ready?
By James Serra
Making Data AI-Ready, Part 1 (This is the first article in a three-part series...
Using the Data API Builder–VS Live San Diego Resources
By Steve Jones
Thanks for attending my sessions. Resources below: Slides: Using Data API Builder GitHub repo: ...
Forums
Hyperscale Replicas II
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Practical Reporting Queries with CROSS APPLY (Part 3)
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Your Favorite Quotes
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Question of the Day
Hyperscale Replicas II
How many Azure SQL DB Hyperscale HA replicas can be configured as of Sept 2026?
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