Storage 101: Understanding the Hard-Disk Drive
In this article in the series, Robert Sheldon provides a deep dive into HDDs.
2020-03-09
SQL
Creating Time-Intelligence Functions in DAX
DAX contains a host of time-intelligence functions with exotic names such as SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR and PARALLELPERIOD. In the last article in this series, Andy Brown explains how to write measures using the range of date functions in DAX, and also explains how time-intelligence functions work behind the scenes.
2020-03-06
Introduction to Indexed Views in SQL Server
This article explains indexed views and provides an example that shows when they should be used to improve performance of a complex query.
2020-02-25
22,308 reads
Analysis Services : OLEDB Error while processing in SSAS
Problem This is one of the errors that I frequently encounter while deploying or processing SSAS OLAP cubes on the client's computers or on a remote server. Recently, one of my team members also faced the same issue and so I thought to write a resolution for the issue. The error is something like this: […]
2020-02-03
9,958 reads
Dynamically process SSAS Cube from SSIS package
Learn how you can modify an SSIS package to dynamically process SSAS cubes.
2020-01-13
11,086 reads
How to filter non-existing records in SQL
Introduction Developing predefined reports in addition to all the ad-hoc queries have been a part of my daily activities. Often I find my stakeholders asking me to prepare reports in which they want to know something that has never happened. It might sound strange, but yeah, that's what their point of concern is all about. […]
2021-11-26 (first published: 2019-11-04)
15,922 reads
A User-Defined Function returns more rows
The Problem Recently, while working with one of my clients, I came across a script in which I had to introduce a scalar User-Defined Function in the SELECT statement. The SELECT used to return around 750K records. However, after introducing the UDF, the row count significantly increased to 826K. There were no other changes made […]
2019-10-14
5,190 reads
Optimize Your SQL by Reformulating the Spec
As SQL developers, we tend to think of performance tuning in terms of crafting the best table indices, avoiding scalar and table valued functions, and analyzing query plans (among other things). But sometimes going back to the spec and applying some properties of elementary math can be the best way to begin to improve performance of SQL queries which implement mathematical formulas. This article is a case study of how I used this technique to optimize my SQL implementation of the Inverse Simpson Index.
2021-05-07 (first published: 2019-09-12)
5,525 reads
Dynamic SQL for beginners in 33 minutes
Learn some of the basics of using Dynamic SQL in a short series of videos.
2019-08-12
8,694 reads
Previous Monday to the Start of the Previous Quarter
Previous Monday to the Start of the Previous Quarter
2019-07-29 (first published: 2019-07-18)
581 reads
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