Edward Elliott Connected Development with SQL Server Data Tools 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... 26 January 2016 8 min read
Edward Elliott SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) and Database References 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... 16 November 2015 12 min read
Phil Factor Routine SQL DML Testing for the Unenthusiastic Tester 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... 03 November 2015 16 min read
Adam Aspin SQLXML Bulk Loader: The Sequel 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... 25 September 2015 24 min read
Adam Aspin SQLXML Bulk Loader Basics 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... 02 June 2015 26 min read
Grant Fritchey SQL Enlight for SQL Server Management Studio 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... 10 December 2013 17 min read
Robert Sheldon SQL Server tablediff utility 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.... 02 December 2013 23 min read
Robert Sheldon Microsoft’s Log Parser Utility: Swell ETL For loading text, CSV or XML files into SQL Server, the Log Parser utility, with its amazing SQL engine, is likely to be the obvious... 12 November 2013 21 min read
Robert Sheldon SQL Server SQLCMD Basics Sqlcmd makes many SQL Server tasks, such as automating test runs and maintenance tasks, easier and quicker. The sqlcmd command-line utility is valuable to any... 15 October 2013 15 min read
Tools Michael Sorens in Tools MySQL Data Compare: The Manual that Time Forgot MySQL Data Compare can both compare the data in MYSQL databases and also synchronise them. It is handy for a number of tasks for which... 28 May 2013 16 min read
Tools Michael Sorens in Tools MySQL Compare: The Manual That Time Forgot, Part 1 Although SQL Compare, for SQL Server, is one of Redgate's best-known products, there are also 'sister' tools that allow you to compare and synchronise MySQL... 03 May 2013 14 min read
Grant Fritchey Custom Metrics for Monitoring Database Mirroring SQL Monitor comes with plenty of metrics, but there are always going to be things that you want to measure that can't be done 'out... 16 April 2013 7 min read
Feodor Georgiev SQL Monitor – Using the performance data smartly How does a Database Consultant use a tool such as SQL Monitor? The seasoned expert doesn't just dive into DMVs before considering baseline information, application... 05 February 2013 8 min read
Jonathan Kehayias Free Tools for the DBA: PAL Tool The Performance Analysis of Logs tool is a general tool for collecting and analysing log data. With the addition of a template, it becomes an... 30 November 2012 10 min read
Michael Sorens Database Source Control Basics: Getting Started It makes a lot of sense to do it, but how do you get started? Whatever you use to build Applications with SQL Server, there... 09 October 2012 17 min read
Phil Factor Registered Servers and Central Management Server Stores SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) has many features that make it particularly convenient for the database developer and DBA. Registered Servers are typical: poorly documented,... 28 August 2012 14 min read
Richard Morris Database Continuous Integration with Bamboo We were so interested in Atlassian's Bamboo, and it's role in Continuous Integration, that we wanted to find out more, such as 'why the name?'.... 26 July 2012 15 min read
Laerte Junior The PoSh DBA: Grown-Up PowerShell Functions Laerte goes step-by-step through the process of tidying up and making more reusable an untidy collection of PowerShell routines, showing how pipelines and advanced functions... 10 May 2012 19 min read
Timothy Wiseman SQL Scripts Manager and IronPython As well as running TSQL and PowerShell, the free SQL Scripts Manager tool can also run Python scripts. This allows even more sophisticated scripting possibilities... 04 May 2012 10 min read
Dave Green Using SQL Test Database Unit Testing with TeamCity Continuous Integration With database applications, the process of test and integration can be frustratingly slow because so much of it is based on manual processes. Everyone seems... 02 February 2012 22 min read
