SQL Server 2014 Checklist for Performance
A checklist to help optimize the performance of SQL Server
SQL Saturday #363 - Nashville, TN
SQL Saturday is coming to Nashville on January 17 for a free day of SQL Server training and networking. There will also be paid-for pre-cons to this event on Thursday and Friday, so register while space is available.
SQL Server Reporting Services Add Calculated Series to a Graph
In order to analyze the data in a line chart better, we want to add trendlines to the graph, such as a weighted average. Here's how to add a "calculated series" to a line chart easily in SQL Server Reporting Services.
Parsing HTML to SQL using SQLDOM
It is simple to parse HTML directly to SQL, manipulate, and render back to HTML using SQLDOM
The Rich Rewards of Tuning SQL
The next time you are tempted to hammer a performance problem with hardware, why not instead invest that time in hammering and refining your SQL queries? There are rich rewards to be had.
Getting Started with HDInsight - Part 2 - Introduction to Azure HDInsight PowerShell
PowerShell is a very popular and powerful feature in the Microsoft stack. It is extensively used for development, deployment and administration across various ecosystems like SQL Server, SharePoint, Azure Cloud and others. PowerShell cmdlets are available for HDInsight as well and in this tip we will take a look at fundamental aspects of Microsoft Azure PowerShell for HDInsight.
15 Quick Short Interview Questions Useful When Hiring SQL Developers
Here is a useful exam that you can administer in either 10 or 15 minutes, either oral or written, when you interview for hiring permanent or contract workers for jobs in SQL Server development or support. (This is not a test for SQL Data Base Administrators.)
SQL Brainteasers: Guess the Christmas Carol/Song
It's Christmas, so here are some Christmassy-themed songs to guess.
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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