Tools – Curated SQL

Data API Builder 2.1.5 Updates

Published 2026-10-02 by Kevin Feasel

Carlos Robles, et al, announce a new version of Data API Builder:

Data API builder (DAB) 2.1.5 is now available as a stable release, and it is about meeting modern data where it lives: documents next to rows, embeddings next to both. This release brings native support for the SQL json and vector data types to the REST and GraphQL endpoints, so the same entities that serve your CRUD traffic can now store and expose document-shaped data and embeddings without custom code. It also introduces DAB as an embeddable NuGet library, hardens the MCP endpoint, moves the engine to .NET 10, and ships a set of security and reliability improvements.

Click through to see what’s new.

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Queues in Postgres

Published 2026-09-30 by Kevin Feasel

Jobin Augustine builds a queue:

In many real production databases, we often see some tables receiving high-frequency updates (millions per day) and autovacuum running repeatedly (hundreds of times per day). Additionally, those tables can sometimes become heavily bloated. The end effect is poor performance, poor concurrency, and an unmanageable database.

In case we are using methods pg_gather for diagnosis, such anomalies are easy to spot by clicking on the table header to sort.

Read on to learn more about the PgQue extension and how it works.

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Tracking Object History in Flyway Desktop

Published 2026-09-29 by Kevin Feasel

Steve Jones looks at an update to Flyway:

It’s a small change, but a handy one. Flyway Desktop (FWD) now includes the object history for different schema changes, so as you are evaluating how your changes might fit in with others, or you are trying to determine where something broke, you can see a list of historical changes. This post looks at checking history quickly in FWD.

Click through for a demo.

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Building an Azure DevOps Extension for Microsoft Fabric

Published 2026-09-15 by Kevin Feasel

Kevin Chant gives us the rundown:

When I first released the extension, I decided to keep the source code private. Having invested significant time developing and testing it, I wanted to first establish the extension.

Now that the source code is available in a GitHub repository I decided to share my experiences to help others create their own Azure DevOps extensions. Because there is more to creating an extension then just modifying the source code.

Click through for Kevin’s lessons learned.

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Monitoring Microsoft Fabric Capacity Usage

Published 2026-09-14 by Kevin Feasel

Gilbert Quevauvilliers performs some measurements:

Before using Fabric Capacity operation events, you need to have a Fabric capacity.

In my testing, Capacity Operation Events consumed approximately 230,000 CUs per day.

Based on my usage, an F4 capacity was required to run this continuously each day.

NOTE: This is based on my usage. Your consumption may be slightly higher or lower.

That’s a fair amount of capacity to track how much capacity you’re using.

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Further Thoughts on the SSMS SQL Formatter

Published 2026-08-28 by Kevin Feasel

Chad Callihan takes another look:

I posted a few months ago about the latest SQL Server Management Studio updates, including a preview of their SQL Formatter. SSMS 22.9.0 was released a few weeks ago and called out some SQL Formatter improvements on the release announcement, so I thought it would be worth taking a fresh look to see how things are moving along.

Click through for Chad’s current thoughts. The big challenge with a good SQL formatting tool is that it be adaptable to somewhat complex formatting standards. If the tool can’t do what your team has agreed on, then the tool’s not going to cut it for more than occasional personal use.

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Azure Arc-Enabled Privilege Escalations

Published 2026-08-25 by Kevin Feasel

Fabiano Amorim lets us know about a supposed non-issue:

Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server is designed to bring on-premises and multi-cloud SQL Server instances under centralized Azure management, but a newly documented privilege escalation technique shows how that same management workflow can be turned against the server it’s meant to protect.

By combining a database-level DDL trigger with the elevated identity the Azure Arc extension uses during onboarding and configuration, a login with nothing more than db_ddladmin permissions in a single database can escalate to full sysadmin control over the entire SQL Server instance. The result? Complete server compromise.

In this investigative guide, Fabiano Amorim explains how the vulnerability works, how to reproduce it in a lab environment, why Microsoft classified it as Low severity, why that classification is disputed, and what mitigations are available today.

I don’t think this is a “run around with your hair on fire” vulnerability, but I am somewhat disappointed in Microsoft’s response here.

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What’s New with the VSCode MSSQL Extension

Published 2026-08-20 by Kevin Feasel

Yo-Lei Chen shares some updates:

Writing and maintaining SQL is easier when you can eliminate repetitive steps and keep your scripts cleanly formatted. With the MSSQL extension for VS Code v1.45, we’re introducing the Public Preview of the SQL Formatter alongside the General Availability of Azure SQL Database Provisioning and Shortcuts Configuration. You can now apply consistent T-SQL formatting across your projects, create free tier cloud databases with automated post-deployment actions, and streamline frequently used commands and queries directly inside Visual Studio Code.

The SQL Formatter is potentially interesting, inasmuch as you’re able to control the settings yourself rather than relying on a pre-defined format.

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A Performance Monitoring Update

Published 2026-08-10 by Kevin Feasel

Erik Darling has a new video:

Erik Darling here with Darling Data, the one, the only, the monitoring tool mogul of SQL Server. Today I wanted to sort of update people on the state of the performance monitor project because there are some things that are useful to the general population that I feel like I should bring up.

So the current version of the performance monitor is 3.1. If it’s been a while since you’ve tried this thing out, I would suggest giving it another shot because there have been some really, really big improvements, not only in the collected data and sort of visualization and printification of things, but also in the UI, UX, the sort of experience that you get out of it.

Click through for the video and make sure you don’t get sucked into any organ harvesting rings. They may sound alluring at first, but they never work out the way you want them to.

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Database Refactoring with VS Code

Published 2026-07-29 by Kevin Feasel

Drew Skwiers-Koballa shows off some functionality:

SQL database projects are a fundamental tool for keeping your database in source control, tracking changes and collaborating on quickly evolving database needs. Not to be forgotten, their superpower is being able to dynamically generate deployment scripts that match the declared state and the exact environment you’re deploying to. SQL project development becomes more challenging when a database needs serious changes, where the requirements of the system have evolved to the point of having to rename tables and move objects between schemas.

This should be pretty familiar to people who have worked with various iterations of database projects in Visual Studio over the years.

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