Click here to monitor SSC
A technical journal and community hub from Redgate

  •  
RSS Feed

Latest content

Laerte Junior

Automating Your SQL Server Best-Practice Reports:The Checks

by , 06 October 2015 5 comments

A DBA in charge of a whole lot of databases and servers has to check regularly that there are no likelihood of problems. The task is well suited for automation as workload increases. Laerte Junior introduces a PowerShell-based reporting framework that aims to simply provide a Word-based report with colour-coded alerts where there are problems or best-practices aren't being followed. Read more...

Doris Robinson

Testing and the Application Lifecycle

by , 07 October 2015 3 comments

In application or database development, testing is too often given secondary importance. There are advantages to the whole delivery process if testers can get involved in the initial stages of planning and design. Testers have a role throughout the development lifecycle, as Doris Robinson explains Read more...

Joshua Feierman

Checklists: A DBA’s Best Friend

by , 30 September 2015 0 comments

Because so much of the work of the DBA involved doing things in the right order without missing steps out, checklists are a great way of ensuring that the chance of mistakes is minimised. DBAs generally create the sort of checklist style that suits their way of working, while making their work easier for them and as reliable as possible. Read more...

Artemakis Artemiou

Introducing SQL Server In-Memory OLTP

by , 30 September 2015 0 comments

In-Memory OLTP, aka Hekaton, originally shipped with 2014, and although it certainly helped the performance of certain types of workload, it then had certain restrictions that impeded its widespread adoption.With SQL Server 2016,  there is more support for In-Memory OLTP and a more seamless integration with SQL Server’s Database Engine. It is time to consider whether In-Memory OLTP can help those pinch-points in your data throughput, explains Artemakis Artemiou. Read more...

Michael Sorens

The Complete Guide to PowerShell Punctuation

by , 30 September 2015 0 comments

It is the punctuation, the strange dollar signs, brackets and parentheses that bewilder anyone learning PowerShell. Add to that the aliases and you can bewilder everyone. The punctuation is essential, so here is the the complete PowerShell wallchart and guide to Powershell Punctuation. PowerShell need no longer be perplexing. Read more...

Robert Sheldon

Power Query Formula Language in Power BI Desktop

by , 21 September 2015 0 comments

The Power Query Formula Language (PQFL) is a functional language that drives the Power BI transformations, and allows you to create mashup queries from scratch. Rob demonstrates how to use it in Power BI Desktop to extract data from its source, filter rows, specify the columns, clean the data, and create visualisations. Read more...

Tony Davis

The LeanPub Crawl

by , 25 September 2015 7 comments

After many years as an editor, I’m finally working, rather apprehensively, on my first “lean publication”. This is a book that attempts to describe the importance of Database Lifecycle Management techniques in improving the quality of all database processes involved in the design, governance, development, delivery and ongoing operation of a database. Read more...

Phil Factor

Dependencies and References in SQL Server

by , 24 September 2015 2 comments

It is important for developers and DBAs to be able to determine the interdependencies of any database object. Perhaps you need to work out what process is accessing that view you want to alter, or maybe find out whether that table-type you wish to change is being used. What are all these dependencies? How do you work out which are relevant? Phil Factor explains. Read more...

Adam Aspin

SQLXML Bulk Loader: The Sequel

by , 25 September 2015 0 comments

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...

Casimir Saternos

SQL and R

by , 18 September 2015 2 comments

Not only can you easily retrieve data from SQL Sources for analysis and visualisation in R, but you can also use SQL to create, clean, filter, query and otherwise manipulate datasets within R, using a wide choice of relational databases. There is no reason to abandon your hard-earned SQL skills! Read more...

Simple-Talk Database Delivery

DLM
Patterns & Practices Library

Visit our patterns and practices library to learn more about database lifecycle management.

Find out how to automate the process of building, testing and deploying your database changes to reduce risk and make rapid releases possible.

Get started

Recent Blog Posts

Tony Davis

Tony Davis

Avoiding Continuous Disintegration

Simple-Talk Editorial Team

Simple-Talk Editorial Team

Caption Competition 39 – In The Drawing Room

Damon Armstrong

Damon Armstrong

Key Points to Know When Using SP.SOD.executeFunc and SP.SOD.executeOrDelayUntilScriptLoaded

Tony Davis

Tony Davis

The LeanPub Crawl

Simple-Talk Editorial Team

Simple-Talk Editorial Team

Caption Competition 38 – Those Magnificent Men

View all blogs

Free Stuff

SQL Server Performance Tuning Using Wait...

Under the Hood of .NET Memory Management

SQL Backup and Restore

SQL Server Hardware

The Red Gate Guide to SQL Server Team-based...

Why Join

Over 400,000 Microsoft professionals subscribe to the Simple-Talk technical journal. Join today, it's fast, simple, free and secure.

Join Simple-Talk!