As Joey explains, Activity Monitor consumes a lot of resources and yields little usable data. Here are some third-party alternatives. I get to work with a lot of customers, so I get to see a lot of ...

It’s time to switch to a new development tool for SQL Server and Azure SQL. Here’s how to get started with the MSSQL ...

A common task that all database and system administrators face is patching systems. Patching your systems is very important -- first and foremost, security fixes are included in patches. Patches also ...

There’s a very handy new tool from Microsoft called the Database Experimentation Assistant (DEA). The DEA makes it very easy to conduct A/B testing for SQL Server upgrades, providing quantitative ...

SQL Server 2025 delivers major performance upgrades alongside licensing changes that can reshape both operational speed and budget strategy. Smarter query execution, refined CPU scheduling, and better ...

As a heavy user of other RDBMS data platforms, I have long appreciated the extra effort that Microsoft put into their data management and administration tool, the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).

“Free” is a term rarely associated with Microsoft offerings, especially at the server end of the spectrum. Exchange Server, SQL Server, SharePoint, Hyper-V — IT admins know functionality comes at a ...