SQL Server Replication usually works just fine when testing in a development environment where there’s low latency and high bandwidth. Real world conditions aren’t always like that. I’ve published instructions on how to use the free WANem network emulator to simulate poor network conditions such as when SQL Server has to replicate over a satellite ...

To install PolyBase on SQL Server 2016 or 2917, there is a dependency on the Oracle Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Oracle made a breaking change to the JRE from version 8 to 9. I published a workaround that is available here.

Sign up for the new edX course Developing Planet-Scale Applications in Azure Cosmos DB at https://www.edx.org/course/developing-planet-scale-applications-microsoft-dat237x.

The great successes in hurricane Harvey relief have often come from people focusing on doing the right thing. I don't think the Cajun Navy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajun_Navy worries about insurance.

After working as a registered nurse and volunteer firefighter during hurricane Harvey, I came up with ideas on how Uber, Lyft, and Waze could help. See my article on LinkedIn here.

Many people are staying in shelters after being displaced by the flooding caused by hurricane Harvey. There were requests made for mental health professionals to go to shelters and talk to people who need help. People with professional credentials were willing to help. Floodwaters prevented some of the willing and qualified to be able to get to ...

I’ve had people ask me how to learn SQL without installing a database. This past Sunday afternoon I saw a packed class of current and aspiring data scientists learn SQL in a great class taught by Ted Petrou. You can indeed learn SQL for free without installing anything. Let me paraphrase Michael Pollan, well known for “Eat food. Not too much. ...

How is your health? How is your job in information technology affecting your health? I want to know! Since I started blogging here almost a decade ago as a new Microsoft Most Valuable Professional, I’ve become a registered nurse and now I’m a full-time psychiatric nurse practitioner student. There are articles and studies purporting that ...

Recently Microsoft released a preview version of the SQL Server Diagnostics extension to SSMS. You can read more about it here. I downloaded it from here and you can see the results below. If you install the extension while SSMS is up and running, you’ll have to stop and restart SSMS in order to see the new menu option. Figure 1. SQL Server ...

There are new HTML 5 enabled custom visualization for making interactive R visualizations in Power BI Desktop. Read the documentation and find the download links here. Because of the dependency on R packages that are loaded with the R library command. The end result is that your required R packages end up installed in your machine’s R library. ...