Memory Corruptions, or Why You Need DBCC CHECKDB
DBCC is a mechanism that can protect you against corruptions causing substantial data loss in your database. If you use it.
The MidnightDBAs release Minion Reindex
The MidnightDBAs have developed a free reindexing solution to help DBAs perform maintenance on their instances. Read about the solution and attend their webinar.
The Role of the Technical Architect in Development
What do Technical Architects (TAs) actually do when in a development role? Are they just senior developers 'pushed upstairs' into a management role? Is there a clear distinction between a TA and a product, or project, manager? In an increasingly automated and joined up development environment, the role is important, varied and wide-ranging; as Grzegorz Strzelecki explains.
Regaining access to SQL server after changing the domain
If you changed your domain and have lost control over the SQL server or have been blocked from logging in , this article talks about it
When is 8000 too small?
Over the years the page size in SQL Server has changed, growing larger to fit larger data sets. However not all functions have been modified to work with larger page sizes. Or even exceed them. Steve Jones wonders if it's time to increase the page size.
Building a Better NuGet
NuGet has transformed the ease of getting and installing the latest version of .NET packages, tools and frameworks. It relies on NuGet package authors to get packages right but there is little documentation for them to go by, and there are a few inevitable problems. Ed Charbeneau offers advice from experience.
SQL in the City London - October 24
SQL in the City London is a Red Gate event, full of SQL Server MVP training and networking. These events get bigger and bigger each year, so it's not one to be missed!
The Mindset of the Enterprise DBA: Delegating Work
A lot of the routine jobs demanded of a DBA can be automated, but a tougher prospect is to automate these jobs in a way that the requestor rather than the DBA can actually set of the job running themselves without compromising security and without risk. Is it true to say that some tasks can be made self-service?
Stairway to SQL PowerShell Level 8: SQL Server PowerShell Provider
In this level we continue our journey into the SQL Server space by looking at the SQL Provider that comes with modules for PowerShell. You saw a little bit of the provider for SQL 2008 R2 in Level 2 of this Stairway.
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