Hack Resistant?
Can we make a hack resistant database? A vendor claims this, but Steve Jones thinks it's not really a good claim to make and that we ought to make it our job to secure databases.
Orphaned Distribution Transactions
Learn about orphaned distribution transactions in SQL Server and how you can clear them.
Encrypting and Decrypting SQL Server Stored Procedures, Views and User-Defined Functions
Some companies put business or application logic in SQL Server using stored procedures, views and functions to return values to the calling applications or perform tasks. This is not unusual in companies that use the SQL Server layer to perform business tasks, such as finance operations, or incorporate application functionality into the programmability layer. Here's a tip to preserve secrecy on some procedures, views or functions in order to maintain security.
SQL Saturday #231 Cocoa Beach
Join us for a free day of SQL Server training and networking on July 27 in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
Parameter Sniffing and Sniffing Memory
This article aims to demonstrate bad parameter sniffing and its effects on memory grants.
The Desktop
Steve Jones talks about laptops and desktop machines, and the potential issues that IT professionals have with one or the other.
Using DAX to retrieve tabular data
Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), originally the formula language for PowerPivot workbooks, can also be used within the MDX query window of SSMS to directly access data from a tabular SSAS database, an in-memory database that uses the xVelocity analytics engine and compression. Robert Sheldon shows how easy it is to retrieve data from a tabular database.
Sending E-Mail from SQL 2008 Express
This article provides a comprehensive solution to sending email from SQL Express 2008 and Express 2008 R2.
The Vacation Struggle
It can be hard to take all your time off each year and Steve Jones is in that situation right now. However he reminds us that life is more important than work.
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