2020 : Community Influencer of the Year
I recognize this year's recipient of my Community Influence of the Year award.
T-SQL Tuesday #133 : What (Else) Have You Learned from Presenting?
This month's T-SQL Tuesday is about what we've learned from presenting. I give an embarrassing account about how I learned to be prepared and not go off script.
T-SQL Tuesday #132 : A Global Pandemic
This month's T-SQL Tuesday is about how we are dealing with the madness that is 2020.
Navigating DBCC CHECKDB for VLDB
I recently came across an interesting issue with CHECKDB snapshots, as well as a bit of information missing from the documentation.
Parse parameter default values using PowerShell – Part 3
More background on ParamParser, some recent changes, and several syntax examples.
T-SQL Tuesday #131 : My favorite SQL Server analogy
Rob Volk asks us to share our favorite analogies that help explain database-related concepts to less technical folk.
SQL Server 2019 Cumulative Update #8
SQL Server 2019 Cumulative Update #8 is available, with 104 enhancements. The build number is 15.0.4073.23.
Parse parameter default values using PowerShell – Part 2
I've made the GitHub repository for ParamParser public; here is some more background behind this project.
SQL Server 2016 SP2 Cumulative Update #15
SQL Server 2016 SP2 Cumulative Update #15 is available, with 21 enhancements. The build number is 13.0.5850.14.
Parse parameter default values using PowerShell – Part 1
I've started a new project to parse default values from stored procedures and functions.
Avoid SQL Server 2019 Cumulative Update #7
I like to encourage people to always be on the latest Cumulative Update, but lately my confidence has been eroding. The latest patch for SQL Server 2019 hasn't helped.
Please don't use sys.sp_columns!
If you ever use sys.sp_columns as shorthand for catalog views, please don't, and I'll tell you why.
When pigs fly : My first Windows PC build in over a decade
Whether you love or fear new PC builds, it's not every day a Mac person builds a Windows PC. See the parts I chose and how much more economical this option can be.
SQL Server 2017 Cumulative Update #22
SQL Server 2017 Cumulative Update #22 is available, with 42 enhancements. The build number is 14.0.3356.20.
T-SQL Tuesday #130 : Automate Your Stress Away
This month, Elizabeth Noble asks us to talk about things we have automated (or want to automate). I talk about a project I just started, called GetAllTheErrorLogs.
SQL Server 2019 Cumulative Update #7
SQL Server 2019 Cumulative Update #7 is available, with 56 enhancements. The build number is 15.0.4063.15.
Please stop using this UPSERT anti-pattern
There is a very common anti-pattern you should avoid, involving updating a row if it exists and inserting it if it doesn't. See how to avoid race conditions and deadlocks.
Sometimes you CAN upsize a column in-place
Altering a fixed-width column on a large table can often mean either a lot of planning or a lot of downtime, but in some scenarios there may be an easy out.
Altering a column ONLINE might still be a disruptive, size-of-data operation
We had a case where we increased a varchar column's size, ONLINE, but it caused significant downstream effects. See why.
Help improve STRING_SPLIT without threatening backward compatibility
There are some limitations with STRING_SPLIT that could be overcome, but the cleanest solution might be to add a new function altogether.
SQL Server 2016 SP2 Cumulative Update #14
SQL Server 2016 SP2 Cumulative Update #14 is available, with 18 enhancements. The build number is 13.0.5830.85.