SQLSpark – Database Engineering & Architecture

Deep dives into database internals and cloud database platforms

EightKB 2025 Session: Next-Gen High Availability with Contained Availability Groups – QA

From two weeks ago, I got the chance to speak for the first time at EightKB 2025 conference. I delivered a session about the high availability feature of Contained Availability Groups, which was introduced in SQL Server 2022 and has some minor enhancements in SQL Server 2025. Session URL: https://youtu.be/RICJEUoIZ30 During the session I have…
Containers 101 for DBAs: 5- Building a Containerized SQL Server Availability Group

Introduction In this post we will continue our journey for building database container images, in the previous post we built an image for PostgreSQL and in this one it is SQL Server turn!! This time we will follow a different approach by building a more complex deployment for SQL Server, by adding high availability flavour…
Containers 101 for DBAs: 4-Building Customized Containers for PostgreSQL – Part 1

Introduction In this article we will go to provide an example for an up and running PostgreSQL container based on a customized image that we will go to build right now. This image includes the some customizations applied during container initialization process like configuring some PostgreSQL memory and connections parameters, creating databases and users, also…
Containers 101 for DBAs: 3-Customize your Database Container

In the last article, we explored container base images and how they can be easily and quickly deployed, providing a ready-to-use database instance or cluster in seconds! However, there are cases where basic deployments might not fulfill specific requirements, particularly when you need more complex configurations or advanced features. This is where the need arises…
Containers 101 for DBAs: 2-Building your First Database Container

As explained in the first article of this series, containers offer a lightweight, portable way to bundle and run applications, including databases, which can simplify development, testing, and deployment processes. During this article we will go through a step-by-step guide to get you started with the basics of containers and deploying your first database containers…
Containers 101 for DBAs: 1-Containerization & Databases

What is Containerization? Containerization is a lightweight, efficient form of virtualization that allows you to run and manage applications, including databases, in portable containers. This concept is crucial for database professionals to understand as it significantly impacts how databases can be deployed, scaled, and managed in modern cloud-native environments. Containers Main Charactaristics There are a…
Kubernetes: A New Frontier for Database Professionals

For decades, databases resided comfortably within virtual machines, diligently serving applications. But the winds of change are swirling, and containerization technologies like Kubernetes are reshaping the landscape, demanding new skills and perspectives from database professionals. Here’s why understanding Kubernetes is no longer a “nice-to-have” but a critical skill for staying relevant in the data-driven world.…
Exploring Database Indexes: 1- Why, How & What?

Series Introduction We are going to have a deep dive into the world of indexes in a series of posts that will cover the following topics: What are indexes, why to use them and how they are being implemented? The different types of indexes. Indexes in relational databases. Indexes in NoSQL databases. Common tips for…
Git for DBAs: 2- Discovering Version Control Systems

Welcome to the second post in Git for DBAs series which is Discovering Version Control Systems. In this post we will start talking about the definition of version control and why it is important, also we will give a quick brief about types of version control systems and the advantages/disadvantages of each type. What is Version Control? As…
Git for DBAs: 1- Introduction

Version control becomes a required skill for most of IT professionals not only software engineers, and DBAs are not the exception, version control can make the life of DBAs much easier and can be used to accomplish many goals like: Having a unified single of truth of organization’s database scripts. Keeping track with all versions…