No Handwaving Away the DBA
Steve Jones doesn't think that companies can just do away with a DBA. Apparently there are people on the NoSQL platform that agree.
Improve SSIS data flow buffer performance
In this tip we have a very simple data flow using a source query with a predictable duration. The data flow takes longer to process all the rows and even larger buffers didn't make the problem go away. What can be the cause of this and how do we solve this? Koen Verbeeck explains.
Managers
Steve Jones thinks that the attitudes of managers need to change if we want to be more productive in the future.
12 SQL Server XML Questions You Were Too Shy To Ask
Robert Sheldon answers 12 questions about XML, including situations you would want to use XML, and how to do basic tasks.
Context Is Everything - Check Your Settings
Check 96 server and database settings to make sure they match your expectations in your databases with this script.
Vocation or Career
Do you have a vocation or career? Steve Jones talks a bit about the difference today.
How column COLLATION can affect SQL Server query performance
Most DBAs, myself included, install SQL Server with the default server collation SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS and all of our table columns get created using this default setting. This tip will look at the performance impacts of querying data with this setting as it compares to querying columns with the collation set to SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CS_AS.
SQL Saturday #306: Redmond
On May 31, 2014 SQL Saturday is coming to Redmond, Washington. Come for a free day of SQL Server training and networking, the schedule currently features tracks on T-SQL, SSIS, Backup & Recovery and more. Register while space is available.
Better, Faster, and Cheaper
When building a system, you need to make choices. However, do you always need to make the choice of only two of the three "good, fast, or cheap" choices? Andy Warren has a few thoughts.
Index Utilization Trending
An important part of regular database maintenance is to monitor index usage and make adjustments as needed. How can we monitor, store, and trend this data effectively over time?
Blogs
“We love to debate minutiae”
By Brian Kelley
I am guilty as charged. The quote was in reference to how people argue...
Advice I Like: Knots
By Steve Jones
Learn how to tie a bowline knot. Practice in the dark. With one hand....
Shifting Mindsets: Why FinOps is Essential for Cloud Efficiency
By HeyMo0sh
As a DevOps practitioner, I’ve always focused on performance, scalability, and automation. But as...
Forums
Windows logins for users migrated from DomainA to DomainB
Hi, I have a SQL Server instance where users connect to via Windows Authentication,...
Multiple Deployment Processes
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Multiple Deployment Processes
How to Use sqlpackage to Detect Schema Drift Between Azure SQL Databases
Comments posted to this topic are about the item How to Use sqlpackage to...
Question of the Day
Upgrading Admin Queries
I have a query from a former DBA that we run on SQL Server 2025 to check on database metadata. This query references sys.sysaltfiles. I want to refactor this code to be more modern. Which DMV should I reference instead?
See possible answers