Cross-database ownership chaining in SQL Server: security risks, behavior, and privilege escalation

A dangerous privilege-escalation path exists in SQL Server when cross-database ownership chaining, system database defaults, and overly permissive permissions are combined.

Find SQL Server Agent Jobs that Start Other Jobs

A SQL Server Agent job can start other jobs. Writing jobs this way makes it easy to compartmentalize jobs: start a “child” job only when the “parent” reaches a certain step. Finding these steps can be challenging. There is no field or property in sysjobs or its associated tables to help find child jobs.

Deciphering Data Architectures

Data fabric, data lakehouse, and data mesh have recently appeared as viable alternatives to the modern data warehouse. These new architectures have solid benefits, but they're also surrounded by a lot of hyperbole and confusion. This practical book provides a guided tour of these architectures to help data professionals understand the pros and cons of each.

• Printed book:
  • US
• Kindle book:
  • US

How to minimize downtime in a cloud migration

Pat Wright details how to plan cloud migration with minimal downtime. Learn key cutover strategies, testing methods, and critical questions to avoid data loss and system failure.

How User-Defined Types work in PostgreSQL: a complete guide

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say, sometimes I get sidetracked. In this particular instance, I hadn’t intended to start learning about User-Defined Types (UDT) in PostgreSQL – I just wanted to test a behavior that involved creating a UDT. But, once I started reading, I was hooked. I mean, four distinct UDTs with different behaviors? That’s pretty cool. Let’s get into it.

How to Draw Line Graphs in SSMS

Ever just need a quick visualization of some numbers to get a rough idea of the trend, like this

Everything you should know about the SQL Server Resource database

Every SQL Server instance contains a database that most people never query, never back up, and never even see in Object Explorer. Yet, without it, SQL Server would not start. Enter the SQL Server Resource database.

DevOps anti-patterns: what they are and how to avoid them

In software development, DevOps promises faster delivery, increased collaboration, and more reliable deployments. However, many teams unknowingly fall into anti-patterns.

Why use a Composite Index in SQL Server

SQL queries can take a long time to run, especially on large tables if not properly indexed. Full table scans can be costly operations when all a user wants is to fetch a few rows based on multiple columns and a WHERE filter. How can we properly index our tables to support multi-column queries?

How to determine the last value used by a sequence in SQL Server

I’ve been a fan of sequences ever since they were added in SQL Server 2012. Prior to that, developers had a choice of IDENTITY columns or a roll-your-own table mechanism.