Oktober 2026: Drei Bühnen, drei Zielgruppen, ein glücklicher Sprecher

Oktober 2026: Drei Bühnen, drei Zielgruppen, ein glücklicher Sprecher

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English version Der Oktober war für mich ein besonderer Monat. Gleich drei Speaking‑Highlights für drei völlig unterschiedliche Zielgruppen: Kinder, Jugendliche und Datenprofis. Fehlt eigentlich nur noch ein Kurs für Senioren, aber den hebe ich mir noch etwas auf. SQLDays Erding vom 5. bis 7. Oktober Die SQLDays sind für mich jedes Jahr ein vertrauter Ort. Eine Konferenz rund um SQL Server und die Microsoft Data Platform, familiär, deutschsprachig und angenehm überschaubar. Es war die erste Konferenz, auf der ich jemals…

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SQL Kurs Zusatzmaterial

SQL Kurs Zusatzmaterial

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Bits and Bytes Formate Hinweise: 3NF vs. Sternschema – Pizza-Lieferdienst Made with AI – diese Seite wurde mit KI (Claude) erstellt. 3NF vs. Sternschema Beispiel: Ein Pizza-Lieferdienst. Jede Bestellung enthält Pizzen und Getränke – und der Chef will wissen, was sich wann und wo gut verkauft. Teil 1: 3NF – jede Info steht nur an einer Stelle Die Daten sind in viele kleine Tabellen zerlegt. „Berlin“ steht nur ein einziges Mal in der Datenbank. Zieht Mia um, ändert man genau…

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A digital banner showing the GitHub Copilot robot standing on a glowing bridge between two worlds. On the left, the SQL Server 2025 logo with three stacked database disks and the words “SELECT * FROM” in warm blue light. On the right, the Visual Studio Code logo with “public class” and other code fragments in cool blue tones. The background is split into two contrasting blue sections connected by a luminous data stream, symbolizing the link between programming and AI.
AI Amazes Me Most Where I Need It Least

AI Amazes Me Most Where I Need It Least

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I’m still in the crawl phase of AI adoption, and I’m increasingly unsure why AI feels so different across my skill areas. GitHub Copilot feels almost magical when I work in technologies I barely know, because it helps me build things I wouldn’t normally attempt. In C# or Java, the acceleration is real and noticeable. In T SQL, however, AI often feels less impressive, and I keep wondering whether that’s due to my higher expectations or simply how I work. I see every inefficiency immediately, which makes the output feel more like review work than acceleration. That contrast makes me question how I can use AI more effectively in the areas where I’m already an expert. I’m still trying to understand why the gap feels so large and how to close it. Even so, AI already enables projects outside my comfort zone that I wouldn’t have tackled before.

Connecting GitHub Copilot in SSMS using GitHub Enterprise or Business

Connecting GitHub Copilot in SSMS using GitHub Enterprise or Business

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If your organization uses GitHub Enterprise Cloud or GitHub Enterprise Server, there is one important step before signing in: SSMS must be configured to allow Enterprise GitHub accounts. By default, many users only see the standard GitHub sign-in option, which is typically used for personal GitHub accounts. Here’s the complete setup process. Step 1: Enable GitHub Enterprise Accounts in SSMS Open: Tools → Options → Environment → Accounts Enable the following option: Include GitHub Enterprise Cloud and GitHub Enterprise Server…

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#tsql2sday: When the Optimizer Runs Out of Time

#tsql2sday: When the Optimizer Runs Out of Time

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When I review a query, one of the warning signs that immediately catches my attention is an EarlyAbortReason of TimeOut. While the query may still produce an acceptable execution plan, it often indicates that the SQL Server optimizer encountered a search space too large to explore completely. In this post, I examine how Early Abort events and the Optimizer Quantum can help identify overly complex queries, large join graphs, and optimization challenges before they become obvious performance problems.

Title graphic for the article Two Servers, One Script, Zero Surprises: Updating Power BI Report Server Safely. The image shows two server racks connected by arrows to a PowerShell script icon and the Power BI Report Server logo on a dark blue background with subtle network lines.
Two Servers, One Script, Zero Surprises: Updating Power BI Report Server Safely

Two Servers, One Script, Zero Surprises: Updating Power BI Report Server Safely

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Updating Power BI Report Server directly in production can be risky and painful to roll back. This post introduces a safer workflow using a dedicated test server and an automated sync script that mirrors your reports and data sources before any upgrade. Learn how this setup prevents downtime, simplifies testing, and makes Report Server updates predictable instead of stressful.

A surprised man in a light blue shirt holds his head in shock while looking at a glowing number zero. Next to him, a SQL expression “CAST('' AS INT)” and a red error sign transform into the number 0 through a lightning‑like arrow, illustrating the unexpected conversion of a blank string to zero.
Accidental Conversion: Blank converts to 0

Accidental Conversion: Blank converts to 0

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I write this blog post currently sweating in South Vietnam: Even the tap water is too warm here 🤣. There has been a lot of debate lately on LinkedIn whether AI should assist to write posts or not. For me as a non-native speaker it helps a lot. I also profit from restructuring my sometimes unwieldy thoughts 😉. Nevertheless this post is authentic and “hand written”. This is a story of an accidental conversion in a Data Warehouse load process…

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Mit Damon und Daphne ins Datenabenteuer: Data Literacy für Vorschulkinder

Mit Damon und Daphne ins Datenabenteuer: Data Literacy für Vorschulkinder

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English version Manchmal führt einen das Leben an völlig neue Orte. Nach Vorträgen auf Konferenzen rund um Datenverarbeitung, Workshops für Code First Girls und Unterrichtseinheiten für Schüler*innen motivierte mich meine Frau, noch weiterzugehen und sogar Fünfjährige für Daten zu begeistern. Eine Herausforderung, die mich sofort gepackt hat. Kurz gesagt: Ja, es funktioniert. Und wie! Für meinen Kurs „Data Literacy for Kids – Mit Datenkompetenz ins KI‑Zeitalter“ beim Haus der Familie Heilbronn (18. & 19. April 2026) habe ich sogar mein…

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Power BI Reportserver Feature Showdown: Standard vs. Enterprise Edition

Power BI Reportserver Feature Showdown: Standard vs. Enterprise Edition

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Power BI Report Server (PBIRS) is an important product — especially for organizations that need analytics on‑premises. From SQL Server 2025 onward, PBIRS is officially supported on SQL Server Standard Edition, making it accessible to a much wider range of deployments. It’s stable, reliable, and follows in the footsteps of SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). But it also comes with… quirks. If you want to jump straight to the feature comparison, click here:👉 Skip to the Feature Comparison If you’re…

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Making Paginated Reports Less Annoying: Excel Subscriptions and Semicolon CSV

Making Paginated Reports Less Annoying: Excel Subscriptions and Semicolon CSV

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Every now and then I run into one of those long‑standing defaults in Power BI Report Server that feel like they’ve survived unchanged since the early SSRS days.A perfect example: email subscriptions for paginated reports still default to MHTML. Not exactly the format anyone is excited to receive in 2026. And yes — everything described in this post applies only to paginated reports, the report type formerly known from SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). Power BI reports (.pbix) are not…

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