Containers are being used by more and more organizations to automate build pipelines in their CICD processes. In this article, Mahendran Purushothaman shows how to automate the creation of Docker containers and a Kubernetes cluster in Azure.… Read more
Think of online conferences in the same way you would an in-person event … and then think again. Here at Redgate, there’s a strong emphasis on learning and development that continues in this new world where COVID-19 has stripped away the chance for us to meet face-to-face safely. As Redgate’s Events Marketing Manager, it’s been … Read more
Many people with tech careers did not follow a straight path to get there. In this article, Pamela Mooney gives some advice for those who would like to be a DBA.… Read more
The standard data warehouse design from Kimball with facts and dimensions has been around for almost 25 years. In this article, Vince Iacoboni describes another way to design slowly changing dimensions.… 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
Microsoft provides Azure DevOps for hosting your repos, setting up pipelines and more. Diogo Souza shows you how to get started using Azure DevOps in this article.… Read more
In this article, Diogo Souza explains GitFlow, a branching model for Git. He demonstrates how to work with GitFlow to create and deploy a feature and a hotfix to GitHub.… Read more
Video game enthusiasts expect that they can make changes to the game’s environment and that the setting changes will be saved. In this article, Lance Talbert shows how it can be done in Unity.… 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
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
Running SQL Server in a container may seem daunting at first, but it’s easy once you understand the handful of commands needed. In this article, Robert Cain demonstrates how to run SQL Server in a Docker container on Ubuntu.… Read more
In some shops, testing is entirely in the realm of quality analysts. In this article, Julio Sampaio argues that testing should be automated and start with the developers.… Read more
When you create a table, SQL Server doesn’t save your comments explaining the table as it does with stored procedures, for example. In this article, Phil Factor explains how you can merge the documentation from your build scripts into the database.… Read more
In this article, Grant Fritchey explains how leaving the database out of DevOps hurts you and your organization and why you should document the pain it causes.… 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
Despite some humorous examples of deployments gone wrong, failures are not funny. William Brewer explains why staging is so important and how it can help avoid the types of disasters he recalls in this article.… 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
As developers should not have access to production data, it’s possible that duplicate values can sneak in during migrations. In this article of the series, Phil Factor demonstrates a way to check for duplicates when unique constraints are disabled.… 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
