Niko Neugebauer

Columnstore post 136 is landing tonight

Columnstore Indexes – part 135 (“JSON type and JSON Index with Columnstore Indexes”) Continuation from the previous 134 parts, the whole series can be found at Not since SQL Server 2008 that Microsoft has added a new base data type to SQL Server, but in SQL Server 2025 they have ad…

[blog] Columnstore Indexes – part 135 (“JSON type and JSON Index with Columnstore Indexes”):
www.nikoport.com/2026/01/02/c...
#json #jsonindex #columnstore #batch #sqlserver2025

The blog post is coming out tonight.

New JSON data type and its relationship to Columnstore Index is disastrous in SQL Server 2025 RTM.
Not just like XML data type it cannot be part of the NCCI, but the requirement of the Clustered Primary Key makes it incompatible with Clustered Columnstore Indexes.

Master Data Services in SQL Server 2025 I have worked with Master Data Services (aka MDS) extensively, especially during the engagement at OH22 around a decade ago, and I my interest in the area and that specific is documented in my blog…

[blog] Master Data Services in SQL Server 2025: www.nikoport.com/2025/12/31/m...
#sqlserver2025 #mds #masterdataservices #bi #excelwriteback

Columnstore Indexes – part 134 (“Vectors and Columnstore Indexes”) Continuation from the previous 133 parts, the whole series can be found at In this post we are going to test one of the more promising technologies in SQL Server-based offerings – Vector data…

Columnstore Indexes – part 134 (“Vectors and Columnstore Indexes”):
www.nikoport.com/2025/12/25/c...
#columnstore #batch #vector #sqlserver2025

a further update - it seems like a simple overflow bug that was not handled. Yeah - run "Preview" features on RTM on your own risk ;)

a funnier update - removing Columnstore and running the average against the "precious int PK column" results in the same error. This is definitely some weird Vector data type bug.
A minor one, but still a bug.

INSERT INTO dbo.vectors (id, v)
SELECT TOP (5000000)
ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY (SELECT NULL)),
CAST(JSON_ARRAY(ABS(CHECKSUM(NEWID())) % 1000) as Vector(1))
FROM sys.all_objects a
CROSS JOIN sys.all_objects b;

CREATE TABLE dbo.vectors
(
id INT PRIMARY KEY NONCLUSTERED,
v VECTOR(1) NOT NULL
);

CREATE CLUSTERED COLUMNSTORE INDEX CCI_vectors on dbo.vectors;

the funnier thing is that MIN(id) works just fine.

SELECT avg(id)
from dbo.vectors;
-- the table has 5 million rows ... and [id] is a simple INT.
-- the second column has a VECTOR column with a single dimension (full precision float)

I am just running some aggregates on the table with Vector data type - aggregating with AVG against an INT column ...

Columnstore Indexes – part 132 (“What’s missing in Columnstore indexes in the year 2026”) Continuation from the previous 131 parts, the whole series can be found at After spending some time thinking about the best way to come back to writing about Columnstore Indexes, after 5 and half y…

[blog] Columnstore Indexes – part 132 ("What's missing in Columnstore indexes in the year 2026"):
www.nikoport.com/2025/12/03/c...
#sqlserver #columnstore #azuresql #wishlist

Columnstore I am deeply fascinated by the Columnstore Indexes, and I have open some Connect Items to suggest their important improvements: – Implement Batch Mode Support for Row Store – Multi-threaded rebuilds…

Just wrote "Continuation from the previous 131 parts, the whole series can be found at www.nikoport.com/columnstore/...

Im Thinking Im Back John Wick GIF ALT: Im Thinking Im Back John Wick GIF

Working on my #Columnstiore session for the #datasaturday Madrid ... I feel like I have an easy 20-25 blog posts to write and I have quite a lot to say ... so yeah ...

Only the Paranoid Survive by Andrew S. Grove: 9780385483827 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books Andy Grove, founder and former CEO of Intel shares his strategy for success as he takes the reader deep inside the workings of a major company in Only the Paranoid Survive. Under Andy Grove's leader...

I have heard about that book for years and just finished it - and what a treat! Highly recommended - "Only the paranoid survive" by Andy Grove. Feels so relevant today
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/72469/...

Will be presenting in around a month at #DataSaturdayMadrid 2025. The topic is the Columnstore and I will do my best to deliver the session in Spanish
datasaturdays.com/Event/202511...

Thank you!

3rd week on the new gig - off for a first business trip, to Madrid.

Same here. Keep up the spirit of challenging the status quo.

If you have kids/grandkids/kids you are involved with, here's a tip:

Teach them *how* to learn, how memory works, and how to take notes. I'm finding a lot of schools are not teaching these basics, and I'm having to re-teach that in my college classes.

Thank you - let’s see if the wind will be favorable for our paths to cross in the future!

Danke dir, Klaus!

Thank you my friend. You were one of the great people who cared deeply about the customer impact and the company owes you more than most can imagine.

:)

Thank you Glenn!

Thank you, Anthony!

Thank you, Reitse!