Pre-built or Ad Hoc
Steve Jones talks about the ad hoc nature of some NoSQL databases and whether that's something that most users want.
Never Ignore a Sort Warning in SQL Server
It is always bad news if your SQL queries are having to use the SORT operator. It is worse news if you get a warning that sort operations are spilling onto TempDB. If you have a busy, slow TempDB, then the effect on performance can be awful. You should check your query plans to try to eliminate SORTs and never leave a SORT warning unheeded. Fabiano Amorim shows the range of ways of getting information on what is going on with a query that is doing a SORT and when requests are made for memory.
Five Rules For Successful Conversations With DBAs
As a developer working with SQL Server, you'll need to work with DBAs at one point or another. Here are some easy ways to make those conversations go smoothly.
The Internet of Things: A New World Order?
Was the marketing hook 'The Internet of Things' conjured up before the technical definition? Are we being persuaded to spend money on fending off yet another fantasy tsunami of data? Already, we have televisions that listen to, and report, your conversations; so are we facing the Science Fiction future of gadgets that report where you go, who you visit and what medications you take? As Robert Sheldon says; "It's big, almost too big to get your arms around".
Cardinality Estimator – What’s new in SQL Server 2014
SQL Server 2014 has introduced a rebuilt Cardinality Estimator (CE) with new algorithms. Which are the biggest differences between the new CE and the previous one? Which one works better? Read more to find out.
Creating a multi-option parameter report for SQL Server Reporting Services
If you have a reporting requirement where users want to enter report parameters by either selecting values from a dropdown list or entering To and From range values, Ghanesh Prasad explains how to accomplish this in a Reporting Services report?.
Painless Refactoring of SQL Server Database Objects
Refactoring a database object can often cause unexpected behavior in the code that accesses that object. In this article, adapted from his excellent book, Defensive Database Programming with SQL Server, Alex Kuznetsov discusses several techniques that will harden your code, so that it will not break, or behave unpredictably, as a result such changes.
Kanban
Steve Jones talks about organizing and tracking work with kanban and how that might help you.
What is Database Continuous Integration?
This is an introductory article to explain what Continuous Integration (CI) is and how it can be used in database development.
Deleting Historical Data from a Large Highly Concurrent SQL Server Database Table
In this tip, Daniel Farina explains an unconventional way of deleting millions of old records from a table which is accessed by a system 24x7, and without impacting that system.
Blogs
Monday Monitor Tips: Virtual Machine Usage and Cost
By Steve Jones
One of the things I’ve been requesting for a number of years is cost...
Advice I Like: Respect
By Steve Jones
“Don’t aim to have others like you; aim to have them respect you.” –...
Blue Sky Programming – The Optimism Trap
Many years ago, before I joined Oracle, I was working on a major modernisation...
Forums
SQL Art, Part 4: Happy 4th of July — A British DBA's Guide to Celebrating a War We Don't Talk About
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Art, Part 4: Happy...
SQL Server Still Wins
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Server Still Wins
DBCC CHECKDB Limits I
Comments posted to this topic are about the item DBCC CHECKDB Limits I
Question of the Day
DBCC CHECKDB Limits I
When running DBCC CHECKDB on SQL Server 2025, can I include the Resource Database?
See possible answers