But, but, but, my data is clean!
Gail Shaw on the challenges of trying to extract meaningful data from a database containing customers who have the name 'Dummy **DO NOT USE**''.
Introduction to SQL Server in Microsoft Azure
The convenience, competitive pricing, resiliency, and ease of maintenance of the SQL Database Platform as a Service (PaaS) offering hosted on the Microsoft Azure platform are partially offset by a lack of support for some of the features. These limitations can be eliminated by taking advantage of the Microsoft Azure IaaS capabilities and installing a SQL Server instance in an Azure-hosted VM.
Support The Boss
Providing support for your manager or boss in getting his or her job is a good thing. Steve Jones comments on what benefits you might get and why this could enhance your career.
Unwelcome posts on our forums
As you may have noticed, we have been suffering recently from increased spam posts on the forums. This is something we're currently working to resolve.
My month with Release!
Alex and his team are developing a game about software and some of the people who make it. He looks at how games affected his office culture, what he’s learned about designing games to do more than just be fun, and how his team are hoping to share their passion with the developer community.
Using DBCC DROPCLEANBUFFERS When Testing Performance
Over the years I've had many discussions with other SQL Server Database Administrators as to whether or not you should have the database buffer pool loaded with data pages or empty when testing queries for performance. This tip will take a look at the effects on query performance for both cases by using the DBCC DROPCLEANBUFFERS statement to empty the buffer pool.
Data Mining Introduction Part 9: Microsoft Linear Regression
This is an introduction to the SQL Server Microsoft Linear Regression Algorithm.
Data Mining Introduction Part 9: Microsoft Linear Regression
This is an introduction to the SQL Server Microsoft Linear Regression Algorithm.
Go to a User Group
Are you in a rut? Feeling a bit bored at work writing the same ole code? Or perhaps you need a job and only wish you could be bored "at work"!
PowerShell One-Liners: Accessing, Handling and Writing Data
In the grand finale to Michael Sorens' series of PowerShell one-liners, we come to the handling of data, reading it in and writing it out, whether by files; input/output streams or a database. It shows how it can be done in a variety of formats including CSV, JSON, and XML.
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