Columnstore Index Changes in SQL Server 2014
SQL Server 2012 introduced columnstore indexes, which can immensely improve the performance of OLAP queries. How were they updated and improved in SQL Server 2014?
Restoring the SQL Server Master Database Even Without a Backup
Many DBAs back up their user databases, but not their system databases. Whatever the reason for the lack of a backup, John Grover explains how to save yourself (mostly) should you ever find yourself with no viable master database and no good backup.
SQL in the City Workshop - Continuous Integration Stairway
Red Gate’s running a half-day training workshop at their UK head office in Cambridge on Aug 8. It’ll show you how to link your database source control repository to your build system as the starting point for continuous integration.
Calculating and Verifying Check Digits in T-SQL
A lot of numbers that we use everyday such as Bank Card numbers, Identification numbers, and ISBN codes, have check digits. As part of the routine data cleansing of such codes we must check that the code is valid- but do we? Dwain Camps shows how it can be done in SQL in such a way that it could even be used in a constraint, and keep bad data out of the database.
Is Source Control Really That Boring?
The SSC team has put together a little quiz on database source control to go with Rob Richardson, Robert Sheldon, and Tony Davis' new book, SQL Server Source Control Basics. Do you daydream about source control... or daydream to avoid it?
SQL-only ETL using a bulk insert into a temporary table (SQL Spackle)
This article demonstrates a method of importing a data file directly into a temporary table and selectively inserting data from the temporary table into a SQL Server table, all in a single set of SQL commands.
Traits of a DBA - Part Two – The Personal Side of a DBA
A good DBA needs to have good technical skills but he also has to have good personal skills. In this article, Greg Larsen discusses the personal skills a DBA should have.
A IT Consultant for our Times
Phil Factor explains that being a consultant in the latest IT hot topic is a worthy role. Someone has to do it, and Phil explains why.
Blogs
Advice I Like: Respect
By Steve Jones
“Don’t aim to have others like you; aim to have them respect you.” –...
Blue Sky Programming – The Optimism Trap
Many years ago, before I joined Oracle, I was working on a major modernisation...
Setting Up a Mac for Data Engineering and AI Work
If you work with data pipelines, SQL, notebooks, or machine learning models, a Mac...
Forums
SQL Art, Part 4: Happy 4th of July — A British DBA's Guide to Celebrating a War We Don't Talk About
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Art, Part 4: Happy...
Is Fabric a Reliable Service or a Ripped Resource?
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Is Fabric a Reliable Service...
locking down agent for new user on our dev machine
hi , a new user wants to be able to add sql agent jobs...
Question of the Day
BIT_COUNT I
In SQL Server 2025, I have a table (dbo.UserPermission) that contains this data:
UserID UserPermissions 15 23 37What is returned when I run this code:
select bit_count(UserPermissions) as PermissionCount from dbo.UserPermission where UserID = 3;See possible answers