Why disabling the SQL Server sa account still matters in 2026

Every few years, someone asks a familiar question: do we really still need to disable the sa account in SQL Server? After all, it’s 2026. SQL Server has better encryption, better auditing, better defaults, and more security features than ever before. Surely this old guidance belongs in the past?

Query Hint Recommendation Tool in SSMS 22

SQL Server Management Studio keeps adding features, but unless you look you probably don’t notice. In this article, we look at the new Query Hint Recommendation Tool in SSMS 2022 and how this can be used.

I’m Not Gonna Waste Time Debunking Crap on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is full of absolute trash these days. Just flat out b****** garbage. (Oh yeah, that – this post should probably come with a language disclaimer, because this stuff makes me mad.)

What’s New in SSMS 22

SSMS 22 has several new features. Is there a compilation list of the new features? How will these features help me as a SQL Server professional?

Deciphering Data Architectures

Data fabric, data lakehouse, and data mesh have recently appeared as viable alternatives to the modern data warehouse. These new architectures have solid benefits, but they're also surrounded by a lot of hyperbole and confusion. This practical book provides a guided tour of these architectures to help data professionals understand the pros and cons of each.

• Printed book:
  • US
• Kindle book:
  • US

Getting Started with mssql-python for Data Developers

rogrammatic interaction with SQL Server or Azure SQL from a Python script is possible using a driver. A popular driver has been pyodbc that can be used standalone or with a SQLAlchemy wrapper. SQLAlchemy on its own is the Python SQL toolkit and Object Relational Mapper for developers. In the end of 2025 Microsoft released v1 of their own Python SQL driver called mssql-python. How do you get started using mssql-python for programmatic access to your SQL Server?

SQL Server Long-Running Query Detection: How to Find and Monitor Slow Queries

Monitoring and alerting can be overwhelming tasks, especially for those new to the world of managing production data. One common challenge for any data professional is the identification and management of queries that run for longer than they should.

How to Help Copilot Encourage Good Database Standards

I know a lot of y’all lag behind on upgrading SSMS, but v22.3 just introduced something that you need to be aware of. It’s going to impact any of your users who DO upgrade their SSMS, or who use Github Copilot. There’s something that you can do in order to improve Copilot’s code quality and make it match your preferred coding standards.

Find Duplicate Rows in SQL Server with a CTE

This tip demonstrates how find and list allf duplicate rows in a dataset using a Common Table Expression (CTE).

Python is good, but not perfect – here are 10 reasons to avoid it

Four years ago I wrote a blog on this site explaining why Python is better than C# and, arguably, most other programming languages. To redress the balance, here are 10 reasons why you might want to avoid getting caught up in Python’s oh-so-tempting coils – particularly when building large, long-lived systems.