ICYMI: Ten Query Techniques Every SQL Programmer Should Know (Video)

February 26, 2015 by 4 Comments

Update 09-Mar-2015: The original PASS links I provided were behind a firewall. Thanks reader MMcDonald, we have a working link on YouTube. One of the benefits of joining PASS is that you get access to their expansive library of conference videos. (Membership is free. So join now. What'dya want, a hand-written invitation?!?) I want to take a moment to point out a good one that I think anybody who writes SQL code on SQL Server should watch. If you know anything about the staff here at SQL Sentry, then you’re probably expecting me and my colleague Microsoft MVP Aaron Bertrand (b | t) to be … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Performance, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication, TCD blog post, Transact-SQL Programming Tagged With: , ,

The SQL Sentry forum for SQL Statement Tuning

February 25, 2015 by Leave a Comment

The SQL Sentry forum for SQL Statement Tuning Have you ever looked at our community site specifically dedicated to helping users tune their SQL queries, http://answers.SQLPerformance.com? You can easily upload an execution plan directly from our free Plan Explorer tool or from good ol' SQL Server Management Studio to the discussion forum.  Once uploaded, our internal team and forum members will provide plenty of tips and input on how to improve the plan and/or explain what the plan is actually doing.  The renown SQL execution plan expert, Paul White (b|t), is the moderator of the site. But … [Read more...]

Filed Under: On-Line Resources, Performance, SQL Server, SQLMag, Tips & Tricks, Transact-SQL Programming Tagged With: , ,

ICYMI: Sequences, CPUs, and Trimming T-Logs – SQL Server Performance Topics

February 23, 2015 by 2 Comments

Have you read any of the great articles on SQLPerformance.com? The deep-dive technical info about SQL Server performance issues authored by the SQL Server industry’s top experts. Here are a few great articles from the early days of the website, January 2013:   Generate a set or sequence without loops Aaron Bertrand (b|t) provides detailed performance information about a variety of methods used to generate sets and sequences in this first in a three part series. Selecting a Processor for SQL Server 2012 Glenn Berry (b|t) of SQLskills.com sheds light on the best CPU to select … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hardware, IO, Performance, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication, TCD blog post, Transact-SQL Programming Tagged With: , , , ,

Join Me at the Ft. Lauderdale SQL Saturday on June 14, 2014!

May 21, 2014 by 2 Comments

  Join Me at SQLSaturday #288 in Beautiful Ft. Lauderdale, FL SQLSaturday is a training event for SQL Server professionals and those wanting to learn about SQL Server. This event will be held Jun 14 2014 at 3301 College Avenue, Davie, FL 33314. Admittance to this event is free, all costs are covered by donations and sponsorships. Please register soon as seating is limited, and let friends and colleagues know about the event. Where Is It? This event will be held on Jun 14, 2014 at Nova Southeastern University 3301 College Ave, Davie, FL 33314. You need to go to the Carl … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Conferences, Databases, PASS, Performance, Presentations, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication, Transact-SQL Programming Tagged With: ,

Top 10 DBA Mistakes on SQL Server

April 9, 2014 by 1 Comment

  Hear one of my most popular session via streaming media at SQLSentry.TV! Microsoft SQL Server is easier to administrate than any other relational database on the market.  But “easier than everyone else” doesn’t mean it’s easy.  And it doesn’t mean that database administration on SQL Server is problem free.  And since SQL Server is constantly growing from small, home-grown applications, many IT professionals end up encountering issues that others had tackled and solved years ago.  Why not learn from those who first blazed the trails of database administration, so that we don’t make … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Administration, Challenges, Contests, Databases, IO, IT Horror Stories, On-Line Resources, Performance, Presentations, SQL Server, SQLMag, Tips & Tricks, Video

Amazingly Useful SQL Server Articles on SQLPerformance.com

March 3, 2014 by 2 Comments

Me and Aaron Bertrand, SQL Sentry flagbearers. One of the things we've been working on at SQL Sentry is building up institutional knowledge for the SQL Server community. There are three main ways that we're doing that on-line: Hard-core tech articles on SQLPerformance.com, edited by long-time SQL Server MVP Aaron Bertrand ( b | t ). Helping tune tough SQL Server transactions on Answers.SQLPerformance.com for free. Streaming videos at SQLSentry.TV. In addition, our monthly eNews newsletter keeps you up to date on all the latest happenings on all of these websites. Please subscribe! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Administration, Architecture, On-Line Resources, Performance, SQL Server, SQLMag, Transact-SQL Programming Tagged With: , , , , ,

Join Me on March 14 in Silicon Valley for a Full-Day of SQL Server Configuration Tuning Lessons

February 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment

  Join me for a day of Real World Database Configuration and Tuning for Microsoft SQL Server SQL Saturday Silicon Valley 2014 Friday, March 14, 2014 from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM (PDT) Mountain View, CA Click HERE to register Now! Seating is very limited!   This full-day training event combines a thorough overview of fundamental architectural concepts of the SQL Server relational engine followed by hands-on demos to reinforce each conceptual lesson. Since most technologists learn by doing, this training is designed to maximize the time attendees spend working with SQL Server. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Challenges, Databases, PASS, Performance, Presentations, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: , , ,

Wait Statistics in SQL Server

October 9, 2013 by 3 Comments

When it comes to troubleshooting in relational databases, there's no better place to start than wait statistics.  In a nutshell, a wait statistic is an internal counter that tells you how long the database spent waiting for a particular resource, activity, or process.  Since wait statistics are categorized by type, one look will quickly tell the variety of problem that needs your attention, assuming you know meaning for Microsoft's lingo for each wait type. (As an aside, wait stats were implemented in the earliest days of relational database computing because the early RDBMSes ran on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Databases, On-Line Resources, Performance, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: , , , , ,

New on DBTA.com: Database Benchmarking Tools, the final article in the database benchmarking series

July 24, 2013 by 2 Comments

In the last several articles on Database Trends & Applications, I've been describing the benefits of reading and analyzing the benchmarking case studies released by the Transaction Processing Council. I've given you from a broad overview of the TPC benchmarks and shown ways that the vendor-published TPC benchmarks can help you save money and how the vendor-published TPC benchmarks must explain in disclaimers how they tweak their workloads. I have described how to run your own benchmarks and explained how to properly prepare your environment for a benchmark test. Pictured (L-R): Scott … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Administration, Architecture, Cool Technologies, Databases, DBTA, Hardware, IO, Opinion, Performance, Professional Development, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication, Strategies Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Cheaters Never Win, Even in TPC Benchmarks

May 6, 2013 by 2 Comments

In this column, I want to tell you about one of my favorite aspects of the TPC benchmarks – CHEATING. Keep in mind that I use the term “cheating” in a joking manner with my tongue planted firmly in my cheek.  But I’m also half-serious.  One of the of the things that is great about the TPC benchmarks is that each of the vendors are required to fully describe all of the shortcuts, tweaks, and special operating configurations they use in order to achieve their spectacular performance numbers.  In a sense, the Transaction Processing Counsel requires that all benchmarked platforms declare all of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Administration, Challenges, Databases, DBTA, Performance, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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