Welcome

Passionately curious about Data, Databases and Systems Complexity. Data is ubiquitous, the database universe is dichotomous (structured and unstructured), expanding and complex. Find my Database Research at SQLToolkit.co.uk . Microsoft Data Platform MVP

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing" Einstein



Sunday 29 November 2015

Developing Microsoft SQL Server Databases – 70-464


Useful links whilst studying for 70-464

Exam Syllabus
Developing Microsoft SQL Server Databases – 70-464

Skills Measured

Exam Prep Videos
70-464: MCSE: Data Platform


 

Microsoft Virtual Academy 
Developing Microsoft SQL Server Databases Course
Boost Your T-SQL with the APPLY Operator Course

and plenty of reading on MSDN...

Friday 13 November 2015

Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 – 70-461



Useful links whilst studying for 70-461

Exam Syllabus
Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 – 70-461 

Skills Measured

Exam Prep Videos
MCSA Certification Prep | Exam 461: Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012


Microsoft Virtual Academy 
Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases Jump Start
Querying with Transact-SQL
Using XML in SQL Server and Azure SQL Database

Training Kit Book
Training Kit (Exam 70-461): Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012

Books online for SQL Server 2012


Tuesday 10 November 2015

JSON in SQL Server

SQL Server 2016 will support JSON. JSON  (JavaScript Object Notation) is used for exchanging data in modern web and mobile applications and used for storing unstructured data in NoSQL databases like Microsoft Azure DocumentDB and MongoDB.

JSON Data  looks like

Transact SQL
SELECT name, surname
FROM emp
FOR JSON AUTO
JSON Output
[ 
   { "name": "John" },
   { "name": "Jane", "surname": "Doe" }
] 
JSON text is typically stored in varchar or nvarchar columns.













You can  Convert SQL Server data to JSON or export JSON and Convert JSON to rows and columns or import JSON.

JSON is explained  https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/4015/introducing-json-for-sql-server-2016/

JSON in SQL Server 2016: Part 1 of 4

http://blogs.technet.com/b/dataplatforminsider/archive/2016/01/05/json-in-sql-server-2016-part-1-of-4.aspx?wt.mc_id=WW_CE_DM_OO_SCL_TW

Friday 6 November 2015

SQL Pass 2015 Day 2 Keynote

The SQL Pass 2015 day 2 keynote by David DeWitt and Rimma Nehme of Microsoft was on IoT.

There are various technical challenge to consider about IoT:

  • variety of sensors
  • number of devices 
  • dirty sensor readings
  • data volume / scale
  • device / sensor security
  • cloud to device messaging
  • set up deployment and maintenance of large sensor networks
 The Azure IOT Services that currently exist are









Azure Stream Analytics can be used for streaming the real time IoT



The Metadata for this is not currently stored in a DBMS so querying of the data is not possible. IoT is a database problem not just a networking problem.






Rimma explained about the Fog. It is the cloud plus the fog. This in database terms is predicate pushdown. Database 101 is to never move the data to the computation always move the computation to the data.






 An interesting set of ideas about Polybase for IoT where discussed covering the declarative language, complex object modeling, scalable metadata management, discrete & continuous queries, multi purpose querying and computation pushdown.

The final picture about the future.