A Fine Slice Of SQL Server
Thierry Moudiki shows off a survival analysis:
In today’s post, we’ll see how to use rush and the probabilistic survival analysis API provided by techtonique.net (along with R and Python) to plot survival curves . Note that the web app also contains a page for plotting these curves, in 1 click. You can also read this post for more Python examples.
Click through for the demo. H/T R-Bloggers.
Leave a CommentAnthony Nocentino gives SQL Server’s new backup compression format a try:
SQL Server 2025 introduces a new compression algorithm, ZSTD (Zstandard), which can help with database backup performance. The implementation of ZSTD gives you more control over your backup performance in terms of CPU consumption and backup runtime. I recently ran some rough benchmarks comparing
ZSTD, and its three compression levels, with the existingMS_XPRESSalgorithm, and the results are compelling and give you some additional tools for managing performance for database backups.
Click through for Anthony’s test and findings.
Leave a CommentSemab Tariq knows that an application cannot serve two masters:
In this blog post, we will try to explore a critical failure condition known as a split-brain scenario that can occur in PostgreSQL HA clusters. We will first see what split-brain means, and then how it can impact PostgreSQL clusters, and finally discuss how to prevent it through architectural choices and tools available in the PostgreSQL ecosystem
Click through for an explanation of split-brain and what can cause this problem. Additionally, Semab includes several tips on how to limit the likelihood of a split-brain scenario occurring.
Leave a CommentVlad Drumea tries out SQL Server 2025:
This post covers creating SQL Server 2025 containers in Podman, Qnap Container Station, and sqlcmd, and restoring a sample database to test the new version.
One important thing to remember is that all SQL Server 2025 containers are based on the Linux build of SQL Server. For 90% of tasks (give or take), that won’t matter, and you’ll still have a good time trying out the new version of SQL Server and make sure things still work in your databases the way you expect them to. But some functionality (e.g., merge replication) is not available in Linux and other functionality (like PolyBase or Machine Learning Services) has a very different installation process.
Leave a CommentIan Parker shows off some meta-commands:
If you manage PostgreSQL from a terminal you already know
psql, the interactive client that ships with every installation. Most developers use it for the basics—runningSELECTstatements, loading a.sqlfile, maybe poking around with\dtto see which tables exist.Beneath that familiar surface, though,
psqlhides a rich toolbox of meta-commands. These commands, all prefixed with a backslash, live inside the client. They’re not SQL, they’re shortcuts built intopsqlitself, and they can make everyday tasks faster and far less error-prone.
Read on for six of these, including examples like \watch to view something with periodic refresh.
Once again there were a number of Microsoft Build announcements related to data and AI, and some were very impressive. Below are my favorites.
Everything announced at Build can be found in the Microsoft Build 2025 Book of News.
Here you go:
Out of 15 items that James lists, 14 are either Fabric or related to some Copilot.
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