#sql-server
sql-server

Migrating SQL Server to UTF-8 Collations Without Breaking Data

In SQL Server 2019 and later, varchar columns using a collation whose name ends in _UTF8 can store Unicode text, so not every text column has to become nvarchar. The change is more than a single database setting, though: comparisons, sorting, unique indexes and storage sizes all shift. The article lays out a step-by-step path from column inventory to production rollout.

EF Core Isn't Slow: Five Query Patterns That Are

This article outlines five EF Core query patterns behind many slow pages, plus one habit that catches them all: read the SQL EF generates instead of judging the C# code. It covers N+1 queries, loading whole tables or unneeded columns, cartesian explosions from collection Includes, and filters that prevent index use. It is a practical checklist for anyone writing data access code.

Azure SQL operational statistics for PostgreSQL developers

This installment of Microsoft's PostgreSQL-to-SQL field notes compares how each engine helps you diagnose slow queries. It shows which Azure SQL dynamic management views and functions expose in-flight plans, last actual plans, wait statistics and memory grants without preinstalled extensions. Developers moving data access code or troubleshooting Azure SQL performance will find the setup details useful.