Creating a quick dashboard with a few reports may be the beginning of a BI solution, but unless time is spent on the underlying model, it won't be adaptable enough to grow. In this article by Gogula Aryalingam, you'll see how the advice of a mentor helped a newbie understand how to create a flexible model that will lead to a valuable BI solution. … Read more
T-SQL window functions have been a fantastic addition to the T-SQL language. In this article, Kathi Kellenberger reviews how optimizations available in SQL Server 2019 can improve the performance of these functions.… Read more
Organizations have many choices when it comes to database platforms. Choosing the right one for an application should be based on the application’s characteristics and the platform’s features. In this article, Pushpa Sekhara explains why the Apache Cassandra database might be a good choice and how to get the most from it.… Read more
Communication is the foundation of DevOps. Grant Fritchey tells the tale of a project that failed because of previous communication and trust issues between the DBA and development teams. … Read more
Organizations may have many concerns about performance when migrating databases to Azure. Fortunately, Microsoft provides some great tools to help improve performance and save money. In this article, Monica Rathbun explains how to take advantage of these features.… Read more
I’ve been speaking a lot on the topic of DevOps lately, and there’s a question I like to ask. What is the purpose of your organization? I get all kinds of answers. “We make software that delights our customers and makes their jobs easier.” “Our company makes low-cost widgets. “ “We make the best gizmos … Read more
PowerShell is the preferred tool for many DBAs when automating SQL Server administration. In this article, Greg Moore demonstrates how to use a server list to control which tasks are performed on which servers.… Read more
Most organizations today understand the value of analysing their data. In some cases, they haven’t realized the value or are just getting started. This article, by Data Platform MVP Gogula Aryalingam, describes how analytics can start small – with just one Power BI dashboard – and grow from there. … Read more
I hear from a lot of database administrators who are worried about being automated out of a job. These kinds of worries are not new. Over the course of my career, I’ve seen CTOs outsource large groups of IT jobs to different regions around the world to save money. IT has long been regarded as … Read more
In the first two articles in this series on creating DAX formulae, Andy Brown of Wise Owl Training showed how to create calculated columns and measures. In this third article, he turns his attention to two of the most important DAX functions (CALCULATE and VALUES), showing how and when to use them. If DAX knowledge can be compared to a heavily fortified castle, the CALCULATE function is the drawbridge giving access to it. … Read more
Whether or not to have NULLable columns in a table can be a religious debate, and how missing data is represented should be carefully considered during database design. In this article, Joe Celko considers the ways that SQL Server handles NULLs in several situations. … Read more
In order to protect data and comply with regulations such as the GDPR and HIPAA, databases used by developers and testers must not contain private and sensitive data from production databases. To help DBAs protect data, Microsoft have released a new feature as part of SSMS called Static Data Masking. In this article, Greg Larsen demonstrates how to use this new feature.… Read more
Security is often considered the most important of a database administrator's responsibilities. SQL Server has many powerful features for security and protecting data, but planning and effort are required to properly implement them. In this article, the first of a series, Robert Sheldon reviews the many components available to secure and protect SQL Server databases. … Read more
In the first article in this series, Andy Brown demonstrated how to create calculated columns in Power BI using the DAX language. This second article in the series explains what measures are, and how you can use DAX to create measures within Power BI. The formulae in the article apply equally well to PowerPivot and Analysis Services Tabular Model. … Read more
You have many options when exporting data from a database. In this article, Phil Factor compares several methods including XML and array-in-array JSON for speed and file size.… Read more
SSRS has undergone a number of changes over the past few versions. It remains a very popular reporting tool in companies large and small. In this article, Eugene Meidinger recounts the history of SSRS and explains when it’s the best tool to use. This is the first article of a series on SSRS.… Read more
DBAs running SQL Server on Linux will not only need to understand SQL Server security well, they will also need to understand how security works on Linux. In this article, Kellyn Pot'Vin-Gorman walks you through several examples, explaining the permissions and ownership of files and directories in Linux.… Read more
Problems with data quality are easier and cheaper to prevent than to solve later. In this article, Joe Celko talks about data quality and where the issues tend to happen.… Read more
SQL Server Audit is a powerful feature that can help you comply with regulations such as HIPAA and SOX, but it’s not easy to view the data collected. In this article, Robert Sheldon demonstrates how Power BI can be used to view and filter SQL Server Audit results.… Read more
Now that SQL Server 2019 is on the way, it’s time to start learning about the new capabilities. In this article, Greg Larson tests the new APPROX_COUNT_DISTINCT function for performance and accuracy.… Read more
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Compliant Database DevOps
