Xp_cmdshell Use Cases
Today Steve asks for the ways in which you use xp_cmdshell in your environment.
Prevent Duplicate Records in SQL using Filtered Index
In this article, I share how an SQL Server filtered index solved the problem of preventing duplicates for new rows in a table.
Getting Your DBA Teams Scripts into Git
In this article, you will learn how a team can start to better manage the scripts they use for their daily work.
The Cost of Rework
Steve notes that we're always better doing things better the first time. That takes some effort.
Concepts and Issues in Test Data Generation
Data generation is the science and art of providing data for database development work that is as realistic and controllable as possible. The skills of generating realistic data are an essential part of being a database developer. It is important: you need plenty of data of exactly the right type, size and verisimilitude
Shout Your Successes
I was at a customer this week (sorry, can't share who). I spent the day talking about Redgate Monitor and how it can help with query tuning, server management, and estate management. Through the day, the data pros at the company were sharing how they were managing hundreds of servers and several thousand databases. They […]
Set up a Windows Server Fail-over Clusters (As a Precursor to High Availability in Standard Edition)
Setting up High Availability in SQL server has some prerequisites. One of these is that the database servers must be members of the same Windows Server Failover Cluster. In this article I show how to succesfully set up WSFC and activate Cluster Aware Updating
What Metrics Do You Collect?
Monitoring and observability are becoming more important in today's 24x7x365 environment for applications. Steve asks what data helps you solve problems today. Tell us what's important to you.
Build Chatbot with Large Language Model (LLM) and Azure SQL Database
In this article, we look at how to enable a large language model (LLM) to answer questions based on data stored in Azure SQL Database.
Configure Extensible Key Management Using Azure Key Vault - Level 3 of the Stairway to TDE
In this third level of the Stairway, we examine how to store your encryption certificate in the Azure Key Vault.
Blogs
Free webinar – Tackling the Gaps and Islands Problem with T-SQL Window Functions
I’m hosting a free webinar at MSSQLTips.com at the 19th of December 2024, 6PM...
Counting Groups with Window Functions: #SQLNewBlogger
By Steve Jones
I looked at row_number() in a previous post. Now I want to build on...
The query processor ran out of internal resources and could not produce a query plan – When You’ve Managed to Confuse SQL With a Crazy IN Clause.
Recently I received a cry for help over Teams. The issue was that an...
Forums
How to determine if a DB is currently being used
Hi - I'm looking for advice regarding the best & quickest way to establish...
Data cleansing/conversion tool HPE
Hello. I am looking for a tool Data cleansing/conversion, was recommended HPE any...
System views in a contained availability group
I have a query that runs in a job to check on orphaned users....
Question of the Day
The LAGging NULL
I have this data in a SQL Server 2022 table:
player yearid team HR Alex Rodriguez 2012 NYY 18 Alex Rodriguez 2013 NYY 7 Alex Rodriguez 2014 NYY NULL Alex Rodriguez 2015 NYY 12 Alex Rodriguez 2016 NYY 9If I run this code, what are the results returned in the hrgrowth column?
SELECT player , yearid , hr , hr - LAG (hr, 1, 0) IGNORE NULLS OVER (ORDER BY yearid) AS hrgrowth FROM dbo.playerstats;See possible answers