Welcome to part 3 of my in-depth series on SQL Server security. In this post, we explore auditing and logging strategies, secure development practices, and encryption best practices—essential topics for protecting your SQL Server infrastructure. As a DBA, effective auditing and logging are key pillars of any serious SQL Server security strategy. When done right,…
If you’re dealing with SQL Server slow application troubleshooting, you’re not alone. Slow applications aren’t just frustrating – they can seriously affect productivity and business outcomes. But before you start tweaking performance settings blindly, it’s essential to follow a structured troubleshooting process. In this article, I’ll walk you through three effective techniques to identify and…
If you’re working with a table where data is constantly being inserted, updated, or deleted, you’ve probably encountered the problem: performance degradation due to index fragmentation and inefficient execution plans. I often see indexes in place but not used optimally. In this post, I’ll show you what to look out for when indexing frequently changed…
Introduction Date functions in SQL are powerful tools, but they are also one of the most common sources of errors in database queries and applications. Database administrators (DBAs) and developers frequently encounter issues with processing, storing, and converting date values. These problems often lead to inconsistent results, performance issues, or even data loss. In this…
In case you missed it: As of February 28, 2025, SQL Server 2019 is no longer in mainstream support. That means no more functional updates or performance improvements – just security patches. If you’re still running SQL Server 2019, here’s what you need to keep in mind. What does this mean for you? No need…
There’s exciting news from Microsoft that specifically affects data management and provisioning. The SQLPackage tool, already indispensable to many of us, has received an impressive update. With preview support for extracting and publishing data stored in Parquet files in Azure Blob Storage, it opens up a new world of possibilities for managing data in Azure…
