A lot of us database professionals enjoy the capabilities built into SQL data engines, to the point that we miss the real beauty of SQL. SQL provides us with complete independence on how the data is stored and manipulated physically. The underlying storage structure and data structures implementing the SQL Language are, for most of us, uninteresting. What is of […]

The value of the RowVersion data type continues to increase in stateless applications such as those found on tablets and web sites. RowVersion is maintained by the SQL Server engine. Each time a row is modified, the value of the RowVersion is modified. If your application retrieves the RowVersion column, it can use the value for comparison, determining if the […]

When will big business move to the Cloud for key business applications? It feels like businesses continue to dip their toes in the water of Cloud based applications. They want to know more about the Cloud, but are not yet willing to commit a core application to being hosted on the Cloud. If this perception is true, and to be […]

Recently I have been working on a project using a local instance of Microsoft SQL Server. The project is collaborative. Each developer has their own instance. The database connection string(s) for Entity Framework, and other Apps, have been named based on an instance name of SQL Server. The problem is that each developer installed SQL Server at different times, with […]

Many folks believe that Micro Services are only needed when you have a massively, web scale, user requirement for your applications. It turns out that there are other factors contributing to adopting a Micros Service design. Speed of development is one driving factor served well by Micro Services. Because each service stands alone, it is possible for different teams to […]

In response to yesterday’s posting, the question was asked, “How does a different interface deal with the fact that a schema change was made to a shared table?” This question goes right to the core issue. The database needs to be able to change without breaking existing applications that are not being modified. One way to describe this is to […]

I’m really pleased with the points brought out in the response from yesterday’s editorial, Database Design Techniques. I started with that topic intending to expose some of the complexities of an enterprise type application. Or, even, an application with a lot of complexity, having more than simple CRUD queries. Others brought out key issues with database design essential for success. […]

There are a lot of different techniques for maintaining your database schema. My favorite, although not my most used method is to diagram first. I prefer to use a database diagramming tool, it doesn’t really matter which one, and diagram a complete database. This includes lookup tables, often annotated in the diagram with representative values. This method works really well […]

We know that most certifications require some form of auditing in your database applications. We take that for granted. Some certifications are more stringent. PCI certification, for example, requires that you not only audit access through your application, but, you must also audit ad-hoc activity. There are a few different ways you perform this kind of auditing. Why is this […]

Many compliance programs require you to audit data acquisition and modification. PCI, HIPAA, SOX as USA examples, and many others around the world, have differing degrees of complexity and retention requirements. Having worked in HIPPA, PCI, AIMR and Limited SOX, there are a lot of similarities and differences that might make it difficult if you fall under two or more. […]