Temp tables are very handy when you have the need to store and manipulate an interim result set during ETL or other data processing operations. However, if you use SQL Server Integration Services as your ETL tool, you may find some challenges when trying to work with temp tables in SSIS packages, especially in the SSIS data flow. In this…
Encapsulating business logic into data movement and presentation is a critical part of a stable information management strategy. Too often, though, business logic is built and added late in the process, forcing it into whatever nooks and crannies are available. While this duct-tape approach sometimes works, it makes the resulting system difficult to maintain when the business logic is spread…
If data is the new oil, then the web is the world’s biggest gas station. Every day a few billion people visit this marketplace and trade some of their personal data for convenience. We tell Google Maps or Waze where we are and where we intend to go. We share (and sometimes overshare) with FaceTwitRedditGram the essential details of our lives…
One of the most underutilized assets in SQL Server Management Studio is the SSMS project. Within Management Studio, one can create code projects that make organizing SQL scripts much simpler, and more easily integrate with source control systems. In this brief post, I’ll show the essentials of using SQL Server Management Studio projects for T-SQL code management. T-SQL Code Management…
When I first moved to the city where I now live, I found an oil change place just a couple of miles from my house. The location was convenient and I never had any major issues with the service there, so it became my go-to shop for automotive oil changes and other light maintenance tasks. One day, when I was…
Since I started working as a data professional some 15 years ago, I’ve had an enjoyable and successful career. I attribute the successes I’ve had to hard work, a good bit of luck, and having help from others who have walked the same path before me. Today, I want to recognize one of those folks in particular. A Long Line…
It wasn’t so long ago that the first day of the month was the most common trigger event for updating key metrics. Indicators such as profit, efficiency, bonuses owed, and other markers would be published monthly after that month’s data was tabulated (which may be days or even weeks into the new month). In some organizations, the work required to calculate…
We’re all creatures of habit, and work more efficiently when we know exactly where to find the tools we need. The same holds true with digital tools, and those of us who work with SQL Server will spend a lot of time using SQL Server Management Studio. SSMS has a lot of features, but each data professional will likely use…
The SQL Server community is just awesome. I can’t say that enough. I may sound like a broken record when I keep repeating these things, but I owe a great deal to the community. I’ve worked hard in my career, but I am certain I would not be where I am today were it not for the connections and relationships…
Decades ago when I was working as a retail clerk, I had a boss named Billy. Billy was a pragmatic guy who had worked in retail most of his adult life, and was full of practical tidbits of advice. He also had no tolerance for inefficiency, and was quick to point out when there was a more effective way to…