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.
Backing up your SQL Server to Amazon's Cloud in Three Easy Steps
John Grover explains how to set up Amazon S3 storage, install and configure the Amazon PowerShell module, and set up a Maintenance plan using SQL native backups and PowerShell.
Two Days Off
Verizon is taking their cloud service offline for maintenance for two days. Steve Jones doesn't think that sounds good.
Archiving Hierarchical, Deleted Transaction Using XML
When you delete a business transaction from the database, there are times when you might want to keep a record of the data for posterity. In this article, Dwain Camps looks at a tidy means of doing just that.
Test Your Situation
One of the important things is to be able to recover your environment. That doesn't mean you need to know everything about SQL Server and potential disasters, but you should know their affect on your situation.
Importance of Statistics and How It Works in SQL Server – Part 1
SQL Server Query Optimizer uses statistical information to estimate the cardinality in a query result. This enables the SQL Server Query Optimizer to create a high-quality query execution plan. Read on to learn how to use statistics and why it’s needed.
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
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Managing Incidents and Fighting Fires
Backing Up a DMK
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Backing Up a DMK
The Quiet Part
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Quiet Part
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?
See possible answers