A Fine Slice Of SQL Server
Sebastiao Pereira implements an algorithm:
Shamir’s Secret Sharing is a cryptographic algorithm that allows a secret to be split into multiple components and shared among a group in such a way that the secret can only be revealed if a minimum number of components are combined. Is it possible to have this algorithm implemented in SQL Server without using external tools?
Click through for a T-SQL implementation, as well as one using CLR.
Leave a CommentJohn Deardurff lays out some changes in SQL Server 2025:
A client requested a presentation discussing key improvements to Always On Availability Group fast failover in SQL Server 2025. I decided that a summary would be appropriate for a blog post. So, here I discuss Enhanced Telemetry, Persistent Health, and Intelligent Fast Failover
John has a very positive take on fast failover. I haven’t tried any of this functionality, but some of this does sound promising.
Leave a CommentJeff Iannucci announces some updates:
It’s been a while since we have updated some of these tools, so we have reviewed a lot of outstanding issues. We’ve also been working on pending enhancements, and now have updates for each of the tools. Moreover, there are more updates on the way soon, as we are planning for a more frequent cadence of updates.
Also, I’ll let you in on a little secret: there are more sp_Check tools on the way. We have a few additional stored procedures we have been testing internally that should be ready for public release in the coming months. We’re really excited not just for the new tools, but also for the future feature updates to the current tools.
Click through for a list of tool updates and the GitHub repo where you can find them all.
Leave a CommentMihir Wagle announces a new preview capability:
Power Query has long been at the center of data preparation across Microsoft products—from Excel and Power BI to Dataflows and Fabric. We’re introducing a major evolution: the ability to execute Power Query programmatically through a public API.
This capability turns Power Query into a programmable data transformation engine that can be invoked on demand through a REST API from notebooks, pipelines, and applications. Whether you’re orchestrating data pipelines, building custom data apps, or integrating Power Query into larger workflows, this API unlocks new flexibility and automation.
Click through for an overview of what’s available.
Leave a CommentAlon Ohayon makes a report smarter:
Almost every dashboard includes some kind of hierarchy between dimensions. For example:
- Years and Months
- Customers and Campaigns
- Category and Sub-Category
In most cases, we want to show trends across those hierarchies.
This is a good solution. There is an understanding how people want to see their data and it helps show the right information at the right time.
Leave a CommentLouis Davidson covers naming standards:
I am starting a new, huge project soon, using some different tools than I have used before. So the first thing we need to do in this project is to come up with new standards for these new tools, right? No.
Understanding the overall scope and desired results, requirements are first, then a high-level design and architecture plan including what tools one expects to use.
Standards however, are something that you should be in place before you start creating stuff.
I like naming standards a lot. I like them so much, I have a half-dozen of them and use them all at once.
1 CommentDeepthi Goguri troubleshoots an issue:
I first updated the lower environments and then prod, but since most of the reports were used only in production, I didn’t see the issue coming. So, the issue with this release was that crash dump files were generated in the logfiles (C:\Program Files\Microsoft Power BI Report Server\PBIRS\LogFiles).
It’s bad enough that we who need to use Power BI Report Server are always at the end of the line when it comes to functionality, but this is adding insult to injury.
Leave a CommentHamish Watson asks a question:
In the realm of software development and content creation, the deployment pipeline serves as a crucial bridge between innovation and implementation. Whether you are fine-tuning code, testing new features, or releasing a polished product to end-users, the deployment pipeline guides your content through distinct stages, each playing a vital role in ensuring a smooth and efficient journey from development to production.
Read on for a high-level overview of deployment pipeline structure and methods.
Leave a CommentReitse Eskens runs into a problem:
This warning felt benign; more like you can run into errors. Well, as I found out, this lets you run into an SQL Server installation that just fails.
The error logs fill up with stack dumps and a fatal error that makes no sense. The installation log, however, shows you a more meaningful error.
Click through for the error message, as well as one way to fix the problem.
Leave a CommentHugo Kornelis has a new video:
One of these two features is Lock After Qualification (LAQ). This feature avoids the scenario where a delete or update is blocked by a locked row that would not qualify. But, like any good thing, there is a price. This video shows the feature, explains how it works, and shows some of the potentially undesired side effects.
Click through for the video.
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