There are many ways to load data into a SQL Server database. In this article, Greg Moore demonstrates how to get PowerShell to do more of the work.… Read more
Since SQL Server is supported in containers, you can now run a SQL Server instance in your macOS without dual-booting or running a virtual machine. In this article of the series, Carlos Robles demonstrates how to connect to the SQL Server once it’s running. … Read more
This marks the third year that Redgate have launched a survey to better understand how organisations monitor their databases. This year, 971 database professionals from around the world responded. Here are some of the key insights from the survey: Estates are growing more than ever Companies who reported over 1,000 SQL Server instances grew 9% … Read more
Smart DBAs automate tasks whenever possible. In this article, Greg Moore shows the need to use caution when using undocumented procedures for automating tasks, and that PowerShell may have what you need instead. … Read more
SQL Notebooks, based on Jupyter Notebooks, is one of the best things about Azure Data Studio. In this article, Edward Pollack explains how to get the most out of SQL Notebooks.… Read more
After fifteen years of heavy usage by developers and DBAs, it might seem like Microsoft’s free tool, SQL Server Management Studio, is about to go out of style. SSMS is no longer the cool new kid on the block: Microsoft has shown consistent effort to develop their new tool, Azure Data Studio (formerly known as … Read more
The use of macOS by developers and IT professionals has gained popularity the past few years. Running a sandboxed SQL Server, however, has been difficult. That changed when Microsoft made SQL Server images on Docker available. In this article, Carlos Robles explains how to get started with Docker when running macOS. … Read more
With SQL Server now supported on Linux, traditional SQL Server DBAs will need to learn how to work with Linux, and Linux administrators will need to learn how to work with SQL Server. Fortunately, there are several tools available to assist. In this article Prashanth Jayaram describes how to work with the DMV tool which treats queries as files. … Read more
SQL Server Management Studio has been the default tool for working with SQL Server for over a decade. It’s not, however, compatible with any operating system outside of Microsoft Windows. SQL Operations Studio (SQLOPS), the open source program originally called ‘Project Carbon’, is now available for users of Linux and macOS as well as Windows. Robert Cain demonstrates the features of SQLOPS.… Read more
If your development team needs to work on anonymised copies of the current production database, and if changes are being delivered rapidly as well, that could mean a lot of time and routine DevOps work copying databases. SQL Clone was designed for tasks like this. Grant Fritchey investigates whether you save time, effort and scripting over the more traditional approach, and at what point it makes sense to use it.… Read more
One of the difficulties of designing a completely different type of development tool such as SQL Clone is that you have to explain what it is for, but when its use is open-ended it can be exciting to see the novel uses that come out of the early-access program.… Read more
SQL Server database developers seem reluctant to use diagrams when documenting their databases. It is probably because it has, in the past, been difficult to automatically draw precisely what you want, other than a vast Entity-relationship diagram. However, you can do it without buying any third-party tool, just using some existing Java-based open-source tools; and can even automate it entirely, using SQL and PowerShell.… Read more
Although SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) encourages 'disconnected' database development, it also provides the SQL Server Object Explorer (SSOX) tool in SSDT's Visual Studio shell to connect to a live development instance or view an SSDT project once all references have been resolved.… Read more
SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) provides, via the DacPac, interesting support for verifying not only those references within the database, but also those to other databases even if they are on other servers. Although it is adds an extra level of complexity to deployments, it can increase the probability that deployments will succeed without errors due to broken references or binding errors.… Read more
There are more exciting things in life than unit testing SQL Statements, checking the results, timings, and execution plans. Phil Factor demonstrates a PowerShell-based technique taking the tedium out of testing SQL DML.… Read more
SQLXML isn't exactly new technology, and parts of it aren't pretty, but if you need to heave vast quantities of XML data into a SQL Server database then you may come to appreciate the raw speed of which it's capable. Adam Aspin shows how to configure the SQL XML Bulk Loader tool for optimal data loading performance.… Read more
SQLXML isn't exactly new technology, but like the even more venerable BCP, it remains the quickest and most reliable way of heaving large quantities of data into SQL Server databases. SQLXML is very versatile, and once set up is wonderfully reliable ETL system, but isn't trivial to learn. Adam Aspin comes to the rescue with a simple guide.… Read more
The process of doing SQL code-reviews used to be tedious and error-prone. Until SQL Enlight, it was a process that was difficult to automate for release and deployment. As it is now both a Command-line utility and an SSMS add-in, the database developer can see immediately the parts of the code that would raise eyebrows with the vigilant production DBA.… Read more
Rob Sheldon continues on his quest to explain all those command-line tools such as SQLCMD, Logparser, SQLIO and tablediff that are part of SQL Server. TableDiff can be used for comparing tables, as when you run automated tests that check a result against a table of expected values. The best way to learn TableDiff is to see it in action and Rob talks you through several examples.… Read more