Better Technical Interviews
Technical interviews don't work great, but are they dead? Is there a better way? Steve Jones comments today.
SQLServerCentral Runs sp_Blitz - Informational Items
The sixth article in our series that looks at the results of the sp_Blitz™ script run against the SQLServerCentral servers.
Export to XML Using SSIS
Exporting data to XML format using SSIS initially seems like it should be straight forward – just dump it in a flat file and give it a name xml type, however SSIS has no XML destination just an XML source. I had no luck dumping the XML in flat file. My solution was to use a script task which worked well.
Free eBook - Control Your Transaction Log so it Doesn't Control You
Download your free copy of SQL Server Transaction Log Management and see why understanding how log files work can make all the difference in a crisis.
Great Engineering Culture
Building great culture in a company is hard, and it takes work. Building great engineering culture can be more challenging, given the strong ideas and opinions people have in technology. Steve Jones has a few thoughts today.
More Data Security Issues
The state of data security is getting better in the US, according to the 2013 survey from Symmatec. However we still have issues.
New SQL Monitor Custom Metric: Database Autogrowth
This metric for Red Gate SQL Monitor measures the number of database autogrowth events (data file or log file) in the last hour. Too many autogrowth events causes disk fragmentation which requires a change in the autogrowth settings of a database.
Painless management of a logging table in SQL Server
Tables that log a record of what happens in an application can get very large, easpecially if they're growing by half a billion rows a day. You'll very soon need to devise a scheduled routine to remove old records, but the DELETE statement just isn't a realistic option with that volume of data. Hugo Kornelis explains a pain-free technique for SQL Server.
SQL Server Luxembourg User Group
Come join the SQL Server Luxembourg UG for free training and networking on June 27th at 5:30pm. Soren Nielsen will take a Deep Dive into SQL Server 2012’s “Always On” High Availability technology. This will be followed by Vern Rabe of the SQL User Group in Portland, Oregon, presenting “Data Types - Think You Know It All? Think Again”.
Change Data Capture - SQL Server 2008
Change Data Capture (CDC) records DML operations performed on SQL tables and makes records available with information regarding what changed and when the change happened in a simple way.
Blogs
Finding Balance: Things Will Come Up
By Steve Jones
I have a presentation on finding balance in your career that got quite a...
Who Are You Doing It For?
By Brian Kelley
But as I've matured over the years, I came to realize that I needed...
Presenting Twice in May 2026
By alevyinroc
I will be presenting my latest session, Documenting Your Work for Worry-Free Vacations, in-person...
Forums
The day-to-day pressures of a DBA team, and how we can work smarter with automation and AI
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The day-to-day pressures of a...
Migrate SSRS Reports to PowerBI Report Server in SQL Server 2025
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Migrate SSRS Reports to PowerBI...
Identities and Sequences III
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Identities and Sequences III
Question of the Day
Identities and Sequences III
When thinking of the Identity property for auto incrementing columns and sequences for the same action, which can be used with the BIGINT data type?
See possible answers