SQL Server Tips, Articles and Training

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Author: The MSSQLTips.com Team

Identify SQL Server Performance Problems Quickly and Efficiently

Optimal SQL Server performance remains a high priority for DBAs and Developers. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to identify the root cause of the issue, optimize the query, and validate the changes. Get the insight you need.

Author: Franklin Yamamoto

Applying the Benefits of DevOps for Cloud Transformation and Innovation

This article covers the essential roles DevOps plays within the cloud transformation and innovation space as organizations embark on their cloud adoption journey.

Author: Ron L'Esteve

Data Verification and Enrichment for Cleaner Data with Melissa Personator

In this article, learn how to get high-quality data using the data verification and enrichment services Melissa Personator Consumer and Melissa Personator Identity.

Author: Hristo Hristov

SQL Stored Procedure Input and Output Parameters, Types, Error Handling, Security and more

In this article, we look at various aspects of creating SQL Server stored procedures along with several examples of how to build a stored procedure.

Author: Aubrey Love

Copy On-Premises Data to Azure Data Lake Gen 2 Storage using Azure Portal, Storage Explorer, AZCopy

In this article, we look at different approaches to moving files to Azure using the Azure portal, storage explorer, and AZCopy.

Author: Rahul Mehta

Deciding between COALESCE and ISNULL in SQL Server

When writing T-SQL, a lot of developers use either COALESCE or ISNULL in order to provide a default value in cases where the input is NULL. They have various reasons for their choice, though sometimes this choice may be based on false assumptions. Some think that ISNULL is always faster than COALESCE. Some think that the two are functionally equivalent and therefore interchangeable. Some think that you need to use COALESCE because it is the only one that adheres to the ANSI SQL standard. The two functions do have quite different behavior and it is important to understand the qualitative differences between them when using them in your code.

Author: Aaron Bertrand

How to calculate the Range of a Data Set using the GREATEST and LEAST SQL Server 2022 Functions

In this article, we look at how to calculate the range of a data set by using the new GREATEST and LEAST functions available in SQL Server 2022.

Author: Koen Verbeeck

The Many Uses of Coalesce in SQL Server

Many times people come across the Coalesce function and think that it is just a more powerful form of ISNULL. In actuality, I have found it to be one of the most useful functions with the least documentation. In this tip, I will show you the basic use of Coalesce and also some features you probably never knew existed.

Author: Ken Simmons

Implement Incremental Refresh for non-Query Folding sources in Power BI within a Datamart

In this article, I will demonstrate an approach to implementing incremental refresh on a data source that does not normally support Query Folding within the Power BI Service.

Author: Kenneth A. Omorodion

SQL Server Database Object Properties using OBJECTPROPERTY Function

SQL Server objects have many different property attributes and in this article, we look at how to use the OBJECTPROPERTY() system function to return various data about objects.

Author: Manvendra Singh

Partition Key Best Practices in Cosmos DB

Learn how to correctly partition data in Azure Cosmos DB to help with query performance and Azure costs.

Author: Rahul Mehta

Performance Improvement with Multiple Database Files for SQL Server and Oracle

In this tip, we will run several tests using different numbers of data files for SQL Server and Oracle databases to see if more files improves the performance.

Author: Pablo Echeverria

How to find Nth Highest Record using DENSE_RANK SQL Server Function

In this article, we look at how to find nth record in a SQL Server table by using the dense_rank SQL Server function along with several examples.

Author: Harris Amjad

Rethinking SQL Explicit Transactions

This article looks at a simple example of using explicit transactions when modifying data in SQL Server tables.

Author: Jared Westover

How to Add a Column to a SQL Server Table

In this article, learn how to add a new column to an existing SQL Server table using the SSMS GUI or by using T-SQL to add the column.

Author: Manvendra Singh

How to Apply Clustering in a Scatter Plot to Visualize Segments in Power BI Desktop

Learn how to build scatter plots in Power BI and use the clustering option to automatically find clusters within the report data for easy visualization.

Author: Harris Amjad

How to Comparatively Assess Buy-Sell Models with SQL Server

This article presents a framework for comparing buy-sell models for securities using data stored in SQL Server and compares models via the compound annual growth rate metric.

Author: Rick Dobson

Managing Hung Jobs in SQL Server Agent Job and Oracle Job Scheduler

In this article, we look at how to automatically handle scheduled jobs that hang in both SQL Server and Oracle.

Author: Pablo Echeverria

Steps to Quickly Configure an AWS RDS SQL Server instance

Learn how to configure and deploy a new Amazon AWS RDS SQL Server instance with this step-by-step article.

Author: Rajendra Gupta

Create a SQL Alias using SQL Server Synonyms to access to Tables, Views, User-Defined Functions, Stored Procedures

In this article, we look at how to create and use synonyms in SQL Server to access other database objects.

Author: Aubrey Love

SQL Server Agent Jobs Schedules - Review, Cleanup, and Special Cases

This article covers various scripts you can use to help manage and troubleshoot SQL Server Agent job scheduling.

Author: Svetlana Golovko