In today's cloud era, Azure SQL is usually first with new functionality, while on-premises SQL Server follows. One of the new things is the JSON data type and accompanying JSON index. Because I had to learn how JSON works in SQL Server for my DP-800 exam, I decided to see how the JSON index works … Continue reading SQL Server 2025: Testing the JSON Index
Category: DBA
T-SQL Tuesday 200: When I Look at a Query …
First up, congrats to Adam Machanic and Steve Jones on reaching 200 episodes of T-SQL Tuesday; you can be proud of yourselves! I've always loved the variety of topics, the different views of the bloggers, and the learning that can be gained from all the posts. I've even had the honour of hosting. Anyway, Brent … Continue reading T-SQL Tuesday 200: When I Look at a Query …
DP-800 Exam Experiences
Earlier this year, Microsoft released a new certification that combines AI and SQL Server knowledge: the DP-800: Developing AI-Enabled Database Solutions. As I still deeply care about SQL Server and am convinced it has a very central place in any data architecture (cloud or on-premises), this one sparked a lot of interest. Today, I took … Continue reading DP-800 Exam Experiences
Attending a Level 400 training at Microsoft.
This week, I was invited to the Microsoft office in London. The reason was a Level 400 training for Microsoft partners on Real-Time Intelligence. As I've been working with RTI on a large project for the last year, it felt natural to join this training. My objectives were not listed, but I wanted to see … Continue reading Attending a Level 400 training at Microsoft.
Speaking at Data Ceili. Or, how to work with fast-changing software in your demo
Today I had the pleasure of presenting my session on Copilot for SQL at the Data Ceili event in Dublin. Somewhere between 50 and 60 people attended, having fun and learning how this Copilot works, what it can and can't do, and, very important today, how much it will cost you. The challenge While preparing … Continue reading Speaking at Data Ceili. Or, how to work with fast-changing software in your demo
SSMS 22.6: Custom Copilot instructions
When you start using SSMS with GitHub Copilot, there is no default set of instructions in place. The agent will just sort of do what it thinks is best. But you can make sure the agent has more knowledge of your local environment (yes, it can be a cloud database as well), how it should … Continue reading SSMS 22.6: Custom Copilot instructions
T-SQL Tuesday #199: Back to on-prem?
This month, Koen Verbeeck invites the blogging community to write about their thoughts on returning to on-premises. What could be struggles, things we have to re-learn, etcetera. When I read the invite, it immediately sparked inspiration, because there are increasing rumours around cloud exits. People musing about 'what if'. Some clients reference these questions, but … Continue reading T-SQL Tuesday #199: Back to on-prem?
DP-800: First Microsoft Learn experiences
The DP-800 training is new and was released to GA a few weeks ago. It now sits in the same family as DP-600 (Data Analytics using Microsoft Fabric), 700 (Data Engineering using Microsoft Fabric) and 750 (Data Engineering using Databricks). The full name of this training is "Develop AI-Enabled Database Solutions". This one sparked my … Continue reading DP-800: First Microsoft Learn experiences
SSMS 22.5 and Copilot: generate code in the query window
A lot of you may probably know that I like the GitHub Copilot sidecar chat in SSMS, and that it can really help develop code faster. Even though you have to be aware of how the integration now handles your prompts, it remains a great help to quickly generate code. But did you know that … Continue reading SSMS 22.5 and Copilot: generate code in the query window
Remember your Redundancy
Let me start this blog post by asking you a question. Q. When was the last time you looked at your redundancy? Yes, this is a very vague question because there's a lot of interpretation you can put into it. Even though it's very valid to think about your personal redundancy (who can fill in … Continue reading Remember your Redundancy








