Many are finding the quarantine a net gain for mental health. Here’s why… The FOMO has been eliminated. There is no longer a “fear of missing out”. For the first time in memory, that type of FEAR is gone. There are no events, no places to be, nowhere to go…everyone is in the same boat. Our worlds are … Read more
I gave a session for the recent PASS Marathon entitled “Modern T-SQL for Better Performance.” During the session, I talked mostly about windowing functions. These functions introduced in 2005 and 2012 not only make writing T-SQL code easier, but often it’s better performing as well. In many cases, they can help you avoid self-joins and … Read more
Books are usually meant to be read in an analogue fashion. Start at page one and keep on going until the book is done. Some people take an early peek at the end of mysteries to see how they turn out, but isn’t that cheating? In today’s digital world, it isn’t easy – at least … Read more
While individual buzzwords will come in and out of fashion, the ideas at the heart of DevOps aren’t going anywhere. Like any good buzzword, DevOps may mean different things to different people. There are several good definitions of DevOps out there. My favorite definition comes from @IanColdwater, who defined DevOps in terms a teenager would understand: Devops … Read more
The PASS organization announced last week that the 2020 Summit, originally planned for Houston this November, will now be held virtually. This is bittersweet for me, since going to the Summit has been the highlight of almost every year since 2003. I had decided, however, that I would not attend in person this year unless … Read more
We’ve lived in our current home for 30 years and have managed to accumulate a lot of possessions. We have closets, drawers, cabinets and a storage shed filled with things, many of which we don’t remember buying or receiving in the first place. I haven’t quite gotten into the Marie Kondo way of organizing yet, … 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
A lot of folks have taken advantage of more time at home recently to pick up new skills and hobbies. In my case, I have started learning more about 3D printing. I bought an entry level 3D printer about a year ago to have something fun to do with my grandson during the summer. The … Read more
Most of us have found our lives turned upside down in recent weeks as we try to shelter in place, work from home, or care for our families. There are many ways to cope with the situation. On Facebook, I see my friends talk about cooking and baking, watching hours of streamed content, trying to … Read more
I’ve been working from home for several years, so I’m used to it. Many people who have never thought of doing this have found themselves working from home the past few weeks. Companies who have never given their employees a chance to work remotely are finding that it’s possible. Setting up remote workers is not … Read more
The term DevOps was coined in the early 2000s to improve the speed and resiliency of the delivery of features and applications and providing more value to customers. It’s not about any particular technology, methodology, or toolset, but automation of everything from unit testing to building environments to delivery is part of it. DevOps also … Read more
As a Star Trek: The Next Generation fan, I am intrigued with the idea of a Holodeck. The Holodeck on this and subsequent series is a place that the characters mostly go to for recreation or to relax. They can hang out with historical figures, view an earthly sunset, or be a part of their … Read more
In the last editorial, I wrote about how it is obvious from what we see and read that Tech is not neutral nor apolitical, how this has lead to a narrowing of perspective, and that empathy is not enough to replace the authentic lived experience and therefore the knowledge of a diverse group of people. … Read more
In 2020, my main personal goal is to reduce doing harm, and this has been mainly inspired by the work of Kim Crayton and the #causeascene Guiding Principles. Kim is a business strategist, tech leader coach, professional educator, and founder of the #causeascene movement. Tech is not neutral. Actually, it has never been neutral, nor … Read more
Each year Redgate Software runs a survey to learn more about how organizations practice DevOps, especially when it relates to the database. This year, over 2000 individuals responded, and they are from diverse industries and company sizes. The key findings in the report are: Frequent database deployments are increasing: 49% of respondents now report they … Read more
When the Netflix series Black Mirror began in 2011, I watched a few episodes. Recently, I “binge-watched” more to catch up. If you’re not familiar with the series, each episode is about technology, and how people must deal with it when it goes awry. For the most part, the technology featured in the series doesn’t … Read more
According to Microsoft, DevOps is “the union of people, process, and products to enable continuous delivery of value to our end users.” The definition doesn’t mention any frameworks or specific tools, and it’s more about communication and culture than any technology. That said, automation and tooling are critical components of DevOps as it helps organizations … Read more
Many jobs in technology, especially those that involve writing code, take concentration and focus. It’s often called being “in the zone.” For me, it feels like I’m inside a bubble where time goes at a different pace than the rest of the world. In fact, the rest of the world seems to disappear when I’m … Read more
The other day, a friend asked me if Microsoft is discontinuing SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) now that Power BI is the premier MS reporting and dashboarding tool. It seems like more organizations are finding fewer reasons to use SSRS due to the ease of use and features of Power BI. Despite all the news … Read more
The first week of November was a big week for Microsoft. They made many announcements at the Ignite conference about what’s new and what will be available in the near future. It was also the week of PASS Summit, the largest Microsoft Data Platform conference in the world. PASS Summit was a fantastic conference as … Read more
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Compliant Database DevOps
Standardize team-based development
Automate database deployments
Monitor performance and availability
Protect and preserve data
