Business-Intelligence

The on-premises versions of SQL Server have the ability to connect one server to another via a mechanism called Linked Servers.

Azure-based SQL Server databases can communicate with each other by a mechanism called External Tables. I’ll write more about External Tables again soon.

Common performance issue with linked servers

With Linked Servers, I often hear people describing performance problems. There’s a configuration setting that commonly causes this, yet it seems to be almost unknown.

2026-03-11

I’m not a great fan of linked servers in SQL Server but they are often necessary. If I’m working with the latest version of SQL Server, I really prefer to use External Data Sources and External Tables. But not everyone is on the latest version. In the meantime, what I see all the time, is people hardcoding server names like this:

SDUPROD2022.WWIDB.Payroll.Employees

That makes your code really hard to manage. One option to get around that is to use synonyms.

2026-03-09

More Microsoft Fabric love !

Turn data into insights the moment it happens because yesterday’s data is already too late !

We’ve added more Microsoft Fabric love to our courses. We’re pleased to announce that our new course Mastering Microsoft Fabric Real-Time Intelligence is now available. This is another course that we’ve had so many requests for. You can find details of it here:

Mastering Microsoft Fabric Real-Time Intelligence

Do you need to master Real-Time Intelligence in Microsoft Fabric?

2025-12-14

Learn to design, automate, and optimize data pipelines across Azure and Microsoft Fabric environments !

We’re pleased to announce that our new course Azure Data Factory and Fabric Data Factory: Data Integration for Data Professionals is now available. This is another course that we’ve had so many requests for. You can find details of it here:

Azure Data Factory and Fabric Data Factory: Data Integration for Data Professionals

Are you ready to master modern data integration with Azure and Fabric Data Factory?

2025-08-11

Want to work with Power BI and have no idea where to start? Let us show you in this straightforward and low cost course with easy to follow practical exercises !

We’re pleased to announce that this course is now available. This is another course that we’ve had so many requests for. You can find details of it here:

Power BI Core Skills

Do you need to get started with Power BI?

2025-07-09

Unlock your potential with Analysis Services !

We’re pleased to announce that this course is now available. We had so many requests for this course. You can find details of it here:

Analysis Services for Data Professionals

Are you ready to elevate your skills in working with Analysis Services?

Our comprehensive course is your gateway to becoming proficient at working with both SQL Server Analysis Services, and with Azure Analysis Services.

Ask Yourself:

2025-07-06

In a previous post, I described the issues with measuring quantities in warehousing systems. I showed how you could well need to measure more than just quantities purchased or sold. You often need to deal with the hierarchies of containers that goods are supplied in.

But while food wholesale systems will need to deal with quantities like I described in that post, they often have another layer of complexity. Items are often sold by:

2025-03-05

After one of my recent posts, I was asked what an outer quantity was. This term is common in warehousing and logistics. So many business applications assume that you sell things by quantity, and that you just count the number in vs the number out.

But that’s not how it works.

A system that’s useful for these tasks, understands way more than that. The terms unit, inner, outer, shipper, layer, and pallet refer to different levels or units of packaging and organization in the supply chain. Here’s a breakdown of each term:

2025-03-01

I work with a lot of clients that are creating analytic systems. They all collect large numbers of data points and analyze them. Most do a fairly good job with it.

One area that many also handle well is detecting anomalies i.e. data that is out of the ordinary.

But another area that I see very few handling well, is the data that is missing, rather than just the data that is present. There’s a huge difference between data that arrived, and is odd, and data that just didn’t arrive at all.

2024-11-18

Another book that my friends at PackT sent me for review recently was Microsoft Power BI Performance Best Practices by Thomas LeBlanc and Bhavik Merchant.

Over the years, I’ve come across Thomas many times but haven’t had the chance to spend time with him, unlike Bhavik who worked here in Australia quite a bit. They are a good combination to write this book.

Content - Downloads

I like the fact that samples of everything discussed in the book are available. I also like the idea that if you bought the printed book, that you can download a PDF as well.

2024-10-01