Prevent sp_ Procedures with SQLCop
Learn how you can use SQLCop to prevent your developers from writing stored procedures that are named sp_ something.
Data Cleaning in SQL 2012 with Data Quality Services
Feodor Georgiev provides a thorough walkthrough on setting up SQL Server's Data Quality Services (DQS) and creating the rules it uses to function as a first step towards data cleansing.
Hadoop and SQL Server
Hadoop is a technology that's getting quite a bit of attention in the last few years, including integration with SQL Server. Steve Jones talks about the technology and how it might fit in your career.
Options to Improve SQL Server Bulk Load Performance
In this tip Ben Snaidero looks at how to improve SQL Server Bulk Load performance. He focuses his performance tests on options using the BULK INSERT T-SQL command to judge how the various options affect speed.
Dynamically Create Tables Based on an Access Table
Create and Load Sql Server Tables based on Dynamic Access Database
Testing
We know that software testing is important, but we often don't do a great job of executing. Steve Jones talk database testing today.
Exploring Query Plans in SQL
SQL Server keeps the most-used execution plans in cache, so it doesn't need to recompile the same queries every time. How can we benefit from this to find potential performance problems in execution plans?
Data Lakes
An interesting new paradigm popped up in the news this week: the data lake. It examines data as a model for organizational architectures.
SQL Server PCI DSS Security Patching Checklist
PCI DSS has strict requirements about implementing security updates and using only applications which are supported by the vendors. How do you create a patching policy for SQL Servers?
Multiple Backup Files
This Friday Steve Jones looks at your backup system and wonders how many people use striped backups.
Blogs
Upgrading SQL Server Containers on the Laptop
By Steve Jones
I don’t have SQL Server installed on my laptop. In an effort to keep...
How to Find Expensive Queries in Amazon Redshift
Slow-running queries can degrade your Redshift cluster’s performance and lead to increased costs. Identifying...
The Notification Trap: How Input Fatigue Is Killing Deep Work in Tech
By gbargsley
If you've been here before, you know this blog is usually about SQL Server,...
Forums
SQL 2019 instance with AG, across 2 Windows 2016 OS servers - OSin-place upgrade
Hi all Can I get some perspective from the community please on performing in-place...
How Long is a Long I/O?
Comments posted to this topic are about the item How Long is a Long...
T-SQL Trigonometric Functions in SQL Server
Comments posted to this topic are about the item T-SQL Trigonometric Functions in SQL...
Question of the Day
How Long is a Long I/O?
In SQL Server 2025, a long I/O is recorded in the error log with message 833. How long much an I/O request be outstanding before this message is written to the log?
See possible answers