OCT 2022 - Tame Your Unruly Data With Constraints by Rob Volk

Abstract

Bad data comes in many forms: duplicate rows, wrong data type, invalid values, and orphaned or missing foreign keys. Time is wasted cleansing, reviewing and correcting data, not to mention the potential hazards bad data can cause. This introductory presentation will explain the data types and constraints available in SQL Server, and how they can replace or augment business rules that would otherwise be written in application or procedure code. Performance benefits provided by constraints will be demonstrated. We will examine the various system views and procedures that describe constraints and how to use them to document your databases. You will be able to apply this knowledge to your database environments and see significant improvements in data quality, performance, and reliability.

Speaker Bio

Rob Volk is a SQL Server DBA in the Metro Atlanta area since 2001. He also moderates and answers the forums on SQLTeam.com. While an old-time cranky DBA, he no longer considers "business intelligence" an oxymoron or "the cloud" as merely atmospheric moisture, and loves to do things in new and and unusual ways.