How to secure temporary objects, metadata visibility, and audit assurance in SQL Server (complete guide)
SQL Server environments that are patched, firewalled, and configured to best practice can still carry hidden risk. Global temporary objects, Dynamic Management Views (DMVs), and audit specifications are all legitimate, widely-used SQL Server capabiliti …
[Video] A Very Special Episode of Office Hours
When we were kids, we knew we were in for something heavy whenever a TV series began an episode with a title card explaining, “This is a very special episode of ___.” It meant they were gonna discuss something heavy, like cancer or drugs or loss. Well, …
Who’s Hiring Database People? October 2026 Edition
Is your company hiring for a database position as of October 2026? Do you wanna work with the kinds of people who read this blog? Let’s make a love connection. If your company is hiring, leave a comment. The rules: Your comment must include the job tit …
Why test data management is essential for SOC 2 compliance
Using live data outside production is one of the fastest ways to create compliance risk. It becomes harder to control who can access the data, how it’s handled, and how long it’s kept for. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Enter Test Data Manage …
Your queries are slow. Let’s make your training request fast.
You wanna take my SQL Server classes. Your boss wants to know what they cost, when you’ll be away from your usual work, and what the team gets out of it. You don’t wanna pay a lot for this muffler. Fair. Apparently “Brent seems fun” isn’t a complete bu …
The future of data leadership: key strategies, challenges, and emerging trends
Data is one of the most valuable assets an organisation can hold — but only if it’s managed, governed, and used strategically. That’s where data leadership comes in. Data leadership is the practice of guiding an organization to extract real business va …
When You Work with AI, You’re a Middle Manager.
I got my start in hotels & restaurants, worked my way up to being a hotel general manager, before switching into tech. I’ve been a solo contributor, a team member, a manager, and an outside consultant, at companies big & small. If you’re readin …
How to secure MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers connected to your database – a practical guide
AI agents don’t ask permission before every query. Instead, they themselves decide which tools to call and chain together. That’s a fundamentally different risk model than traditional access control – and it’s exactly why MCP (Model Context Protocol) s …
What really happens when you let AI design your database schema (everything you should know)
AI coding assistants have become a fixture in most developers’ workflows, but when it comes to databases, the picture gets complicated fast. Over 60% of developers don’t use AI for database tasks at all — and for good reason. From confusing MariaDB wit …
Registration Is Open Now! $995 for a 2027 Live Class Season Pass.
I teach Microsoft SQL Server performance tuning in a 4-class rotation. The winter rotation is getting ready to start: Fundamentals Week – November 2-6 Mastering Index Tuning – November 30-Dec 4 Mastering Query Tuning – January 11-15, 2027 Mastering Ser …
Why PostgreSQL shouldn’t be your app’s answer to everything
PostgreSQL is one of the most capable relational databases available, but capability isn’t the same as suitability. Using it to handle jobs it wasn’t built for – such as queuing or storing every document an application generates – creates recurring pro …
I’m Just Gonna Leave This Here
Sometimes my value as a blogger is to make complex topics simple, or to deliver industry news to you, or to entertain you. Sometimes, it’s just to keep you posted on things that are happening in the industry. So with that in mind, at Microsoft FabCon B …
Power BI Project (PBIP) is now generally available. Here’s why that matters – and how it works
Do you know where you were on June 15, 2023? Do not fret, neither do I. But I do remember a blog post written by Rui Romano announcing the preview of the Power BI Project (PBIP) format back then. Many in the Power BI world rejoiced at this news. Micros …
So, What’s New Lately in My SQL Server Training Classes?
On Wednesday, registration opens for the next round of my live training classes, and you can get access to all my live classes & recordings for just $995. So, what’s been changing with databases & classes lately? This year, I rebuilt the classe …
How to close SQL Server operational blind spots (linked servers, DMVs, and KILL command security risks & fixes)
The SQL Server attack pattern is consistent: attackers do not always need a spectacular vulnerability. They often succeed by chaining normal features that were granted too broadly, trusted too much, or monitored too narrowly. In this article, I’ll foc …