Avoid running out of Disk Space ever again using Redgate Monitor

SQL Monitor not only collects all the disk and database growth tracking data you need, automatically, but also analyses trends in this data to predict accurately when either a disk volume will run out of free space, or a database file will need to grow. Read more

Monitoring the Application with SQL Monitor: Website Activity

Using a PowerShell script that collects log data from a web server, plus a SQL Monitor custom metric, Phil Factor offers a way to check for suspicious website errors and unusual patterns of activity, right alongside your database monitoring. Read more

Using a Variable-length Datatype Without Explicit Length: The Whys and Wherefores (BP007/8)

If you declare a variable-length string , or coerce a string, without specifying its length, you can fall foul of ‘silent’ string truncation. Some developers resort to using the (MAX) specification, which is a mistake too. Phil Factor explains the dangers and then offers a workaround for the problem, when you're importing text and simply don't know the correct length of each string. Read more

How to Monitor IDENTITY columns to prevent unplanned downtime

If a table runs out of IDENTITY values then it, and any dependent services and applications, will be "read-only" until the problem is fixed. Steve Jones explains how to set up a custom monitor to detect and prevent such problems. Read more

Automating Builds from Source Control for the WideWorldImporters Database

Kendra Little shows how to get the WideWorldImporters database into version control, using SQL Source Control, and then set up an automated database build process, using Azure DevOps with SQL Change Automation. Read more

The risks of using EXECUTE (‘SQL Script’)

SQL Prompt’s code analysis rule, BP013, will alert you to use of Execute(string) to execute a batch in a string, often assembled dynamically from user input. This technique is dangerous because the parameter values are injected before the statement is parsed by SQL Server, allowing an attacker to "tag on" extra statements. Use sp_ExecuteSql instead, and validate the string inputs. Read more

SQL Provision and Azure SQL Database: Creating Local Development and Test Databases

As more businesses start to use cloud-based platforms, such as Azure SQL Database, as their primary database solution, they find that they still need to support on-premise workflows for development and test databases. This is a perfect task for SQL Provision. Read more

How to Apply Non-Standard SQL Formatting Using SQL Prompt

SQL Prompt not only will format your code exactly as you want, but will also help you switch quickly to an alternative style, or to apply exceptions to certain parts of a SQL script, where your preferred style isn't what's required. Read more

The Database DevOps Challenges SQL Provision Solves

SQL Provision helps to accelerate the delivery of database changes, by enabling an organization to provide database copies, and the right data, to all parts of the deployment pipeline that need it, with a light footprint, and securely. Tony Davis explains how. Read more

The Whys and Wherefores of Untrusted or Disabled Constraints

Having untrusted or disabled FOREIGN KEY or CHECK constraints in your databases will degrade data consistency and integrity and can cause query performance problems. Phil Factor explains how to detect these and other table-related issues, during development, before they cause trouble further down the line. Read more

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