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Quick and easy way to monitor server activity and be notified from alerts.
Managing Test Data as a Database CI Component - Part 1
Constructing a test environment for your databases can be a difficult task at the best of times. Once you’ve actually acquired the hardware needed and architected the environment, you still have to arrange and securely transport the data. And with the rising demand for fast feedback and continuously integrated processes, having all of this automated and operating at speed is a challenge all of its own.
Cascaded Parameters in SQL Server Reporting Services
You have a reporting requirement where a user has two or more parameters for a single report, but the values for one parameter depend on the values chosen in a previous parameter. Ghanesh Prasad explains how to create cascaded parameters in SQL Server Reporting Services to solve this issue.
SQL Saturday #371 - Tampa, FL
SQL Saturdau is coming to Tampa on February 28, 2015. This is a free training event for those wanting to learn about SQL Server. Register while space is available.
How to use the IsNothing Inspection Function in SSRS
SSRS includes multiple functions that can be used in within an expression. This article hopes to just show an example of how to use the IsNothing function in an SSRS report.
SQL Bits XIV, London, March 4 – 7, 2015
SQL Bits is Europe's largest SQL Server conference. They have experts teaching beginners, and beginners questioning experts, providing feedback and improving the event every year. Register with the code SSC-HERO to get a 15% discount on the ticket price!
Starting a New Job
Steve Jones talks about starting a new job and the need to get up to speed quickly, perhaps by being prepared on day 1.
Bowled Over by SQL Window Functions
What better way to learn how to construct complex CHECK CONSTRAINTs, use the SQL 2012 window frame capability of the OVER clause and LEAD analytic function, as well as how to pivot rows into columns using a crosstab query? Create the SQL code to score Ten-pin Bowling, of course. Dwain Camps explains the how, what and why.
Ship Safe...Ship Often
How can we ship safe, and ship often? Steve Jones has a few comments on the need for better engineering.
Using SQL Server's GROUP BY clause to Summarize your Data
SQL Server’s GROUP BY clause provides you a way to aggregate your SQL Server data and to group data on a single column, multiple columns, or even expressions. Greg Larsen discusses how to use the GROUP by clause to summarize your data.
Blogs
Narrow Task Decomposition in AI Pipeline Agents
A nightly load into sales_fact fails. Ask an orchestrating agent to break down the...
Car Update: August 2026
By Steve Jones
It’s been some time since I provided a car update, so I decided to...
Microsoft Fabric OneLake Shortcuts: When to Use Them and When Not To
By James Serra
An architecture scenario Imagine separate Sales, Finance, Shared Data, and Executive Analytics workspaces. Sales...
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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