CROSS APPLY Fundamentals: Part 1
Learn the basics of the CROSS APPLY operator with a few examples in this short piece.
Make It Routine
One of the goals of software is to use the power of the computer to handle repeatable tasks. Steve notes that this can be hard at first, but the goal is that subsequent efforts become routine.
5 T-SQL features that should already exist (2026 SQL Server wish list)
2026 T-SQL wish list covering native Parquet imports, arrays, OVERLAPS, simpler licensing, and cloud storage
AI Observability Challenges in FinOps as a DBA
I was performing research for requested AI work and noticed that I was viewing the risks from a database perspective. As the saying goes in the tech industry, “Once a DBA always a DBA…” As foreign as some of the views were, much of it feels familiar and I simply begin to look at it […]
Another Model, More Data Loss
More issues with the newest GPT-5.6 model, including data loss incidents.
SQL Agent Job Automated Change Capture Process
Build a process that captures your SQL Agent job history and changes across time.
SQL Server Data Warehouse Concepts, Schema Design, and Implementation
A Data Warehouse acts as a centralized repository, is subject oriented, time variant and non-volatile repository. This article covers some concepts that will help you better design these structures.
Can You Really Downgrade from Enterprise to Standard and Save Thousands? Here's What Happened
A real world story of how someone moved from Enterprise Edition to Standard for not only the SQL Server database engine, but also with SSRS, SSIS, and SSAS.
What is CPU Usage?
Tracking metrics and reporting on them to others can help ensure everyone is aware of how your database servers are functioning. However, Steve notes that we have to agree on what we are measuring.
Exposing a SQL injection vulnerability you’ve never heard of
This article documents a SQL injection vulnerability I discovered in sys.sp_dbmmonitorupdate, a Microsoft-signed system stored procedure. For other SQL Server security vulnerabilities I’ve discovered, see the full series here.
Blogs
Announcements from the Microsoft Fabric Community Conference — Barcelona 2026
By James Serra
Microsoft shared a broad set of Fabric, Power BI, and SQL updates at FabCon...
Au Revoir for now
By Steve Jones
No, I’m not quitting or retiring. Just going on vacation, but I leave tonight...
Forums
Let's Talk Certifications
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Let's Talk Certifications, which is...
The Hidden Security Risks of Role Combination in SSAS Tabular
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Hidden Security Risks of...
The Empty Aggregate
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Empty Aggregate
Question of the Day
The Empty Aggregate
I have this table in a SQL Server 2025 database:
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[CustomerOrder] ( [OrderID] [int] NULL, [CustomerID] [int] NULL, [total] [money] NULL ) ON [PRIMARY] GOWhat is returned from this code? (answers are for the sum and then the count)
SELECT SUM(total) AS sum,
COUNT(total) AS count
FROM dbo.CustomerOrder;
See possible answers