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
Excellent article on securing msdb
By Brian Kelley
Fabiano Amorim has written an excellent article at Simple Talk on securing msdb. Here's...
T-SQL Tuesday #201: Temp Tables
By Steve Jones
This month we have a new host, which I am grateful for. So many...
When Do You Reach For A #temp Table?
I needed to do some research because there is more to #temp tables than...
Forums
OUTER APPLY Fundamentals: Part 2
Comments posted to this topic are about the item OUTER APPLY Fundamentals: Part 2
Building Great Software
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Building Great Software
The Range of Customers
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Range of Customers
Question of the Day
The Range of Customers
I have this data in the OrderHeader table in a SQL Server 2025 database (ordered by CustomerID ASC):
orderid orderdate customerid complete 3 2025-05-10 00:00:00.0002 1 21 2024-01-10 00:00:00.0003 1 15 2023-10-28 00:00:00.0004 1 13 2025-03-08 00:00:00.0006 1 11 2024-04-02 00:00:00.0007 1If I run this query, how many rows are returned?
SELECT * from dbo.OrderHeader where customerid between 3 and '6'See possible answers