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SQL Server & Software Development Articles
Insights on software development, SQL Server, and technology

Your Database Backups Are Probably Lying to You
Every business that has lost data had backups. A job that reports success only tells you a file was written. Six failures we find constantly, and the quarterly test that settles the question for good.

What Custom Software Actually Costs a Small Business in 2026
Real ranges instead of it depends. What a single-purpose tool costs, what an internal system costs, what drives the number up, and the five things to bring if you want a fast, accurate quote.

SSIS Is Not Dead: When ETL Packages Still Beat a Modern Data Stack
A large share of the ETL running tonight in mid-sized businesses is SSIS, and most of it works fine. Where it still wins, where it genuinely falls down, and why rewriting a hundred working packages is usually a bad trade.

Should You Move SQL Server to Azure? An Honest Answer for Small Businesses
Azure SQL Database, Managed Instance, or a VM - picking the wrong one is the most expensive mistake in the whole project. When moving is right, when staying put is right, and what actually drives the bill.

How to Read a SQL Server Execution Plan Without Losing an Afternoon
An execution plan tells you exactly why a query is slow, if you know which four things to look at. Here is the short version we use on every tuning engagement, plus the one number you should stop trusting.

The Death of the Personal Website (And Why We Are Bringing It Back)
Everyone moved to Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. But owning your corner of the internet still matters. Here is why platforms decay, domains do not, and 2026 might be the year of the comeback.

5 SQL Server Performance Mistakes That Are Costing You Hours Every Week
Slow queries, bloated indexes, and missing statistics — most SQL Server performance problems come from the same handful of mistakes. Here are five we see constantly (and how to fix them).