It's not you; it's us
The announcement that the MCM program was being discontinued brings us a few thoughts from Gail Shaw, one of the 0.08% to achieve the certification.
New Enhanced Column Store Index in SQL Server 2014 – Part 1
Column Store Index, which improves performance of data warehouse queries several folds, was first introduced in SQL Server 2012. Unlike regular indexes or heaps, which store data in B-Tree structure (in row-wise fashion), the column store index stores data in columnar fashion and uses compression aggressively to reduce the disk I/O needed to serve the query request. In this article, Arshad Ali talks about the new enhanced columnstore index feature in SQL Server 2014.
Opportunity for Business Intelligence developer
Red Gate is looking for a Business Intelligence Developer to work with our internal development team on creating business intelligence solutions. You'll be responsible for designing, building, and testing end-to-end BI solutions using the Microsoft BI stack, so we'll expect you to be passionate about understanding data and generating a universe of analytics for your customers – our Red Gaters.
Sensor Data
The availability of cheap sensors brings with it lots of possibilities and concerns. However there is one certainty: more data.
Variable Default Values to a Stored Procedure (SQL Spackle)
A way to assign variable and overrideable defaults to input parameters to an SP or FUNCTION using a configurations table.
New SQL Monitor Custom Metric: Large Transaction Log Files
If the transaction log autogrows rapidly, it can suggest that log backups are not being carried out frequently enough, or another resource may be preventing the log from truncating. This metric measures the number of transaction log files that are greater than 10 GB. The associated alert is raised when the number of files exceeds a specified threshold.
SQL Server Reporting Services Tips and Tricks to Improve the End User Experience
In this article we'll take a look at the following Tips and Tricks for SSRS: Display Total Number of Pages while Navigating, Display Everything in a Single Page, Display Report Parameter Selection, Display No Rows Error Message, Page Settings for Optimal Printing.
Common table expressions and circular references
Finding circular references that are stopping your CTE from working.
What Counts for a DBA: Patience
Technical debt is frustrating but dealing with it requires patience. Louis Davidson explains why.
Blogs
ISACA AI Material/Exam Prep Discount (May 18 – June 30, 2026)
By Brian Kelley
If you are considering any of the ISACA AI certs like the Advanced Artificial...
A Fabric solution can be very cost effective
By ChrisJenkins
Are you currently using Microsoft Fabric or considering migrating to it? If so, there...
Track SQL Server Configuration Changes Using the Error Log
By SQLPals
Track SQL Server Configuration Changes Using the Error Log If you...
Forums
We Are Eating Our Own Seed Corn
Comments posted to this topic are about the item We Are Eating Our Own...
Before Using AI with Business Data, Read This
Artificial intelligence tools are quickly becoming part of daily business operations, from document analysis...
Designing SQL Server ETL Pipelines That Don't Break at Scale
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Designing SQL Server ETL Pipelines...
Question of the Day
Detecting Deadlocks Quickly
In the Database Engine, when a deadlock is detected, what does the detection interval shrink to (in time)?
See possible answers