Introduction to TPC Database Benchmarks Let's talk about database application benchmarking. This is a skill set which, in my opinion, is one of the major differentiators between a journeyman-level DBA and a true master of the trade. In this article published in my monthly column at Database Trends & Applications magazine, I'll give you a brief introduction to TPC benchmarks and, in future articles, I'll be telling you how to extract specific pieces of valuable information from the published benchmark results. But let's get started with an overview … read … [Read more...]
Read the New TPC Database Benchmarking Series
Filed Under: Administration, Challenges, Databases, Performance, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Best Practices, DBA, Oracle, Performance, SQL Server 2012
PASS Business Analytics Conference (BAC) Recap
The PASS Business Analytics Conference (PASS BAC) is PASS' first foray into an event that is dedicated to business intelligence, big data, data visualization, and business analytics. And it totally makes sense for PASS to move in this direction, over and above the flagship community work centered on database management and application development. Why? Because business analytics is all about how to apply the data being collected and managed by all of those developers and DBAs. And, at the end of the day, how we use and apply our data is really the nexus of its value. That's what matters … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Business Analytics, Business Intelligence, Conferences, Databases, On-Line Resources, PASS, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication, Trends Tagged With: Business Analytics, Business Intelligence, DBA, Developer, SQL Server 2012
The All-New ‘Database Lifecycle Management” is available on MSDN
The initial release of Database Lifecycle Management is now available on MSDN. The site is something called "curated content". This means it's a single consolidated location to look up lots of disparate articles and content, all in one easy to search location. This “curated content view” contains the best content, video, and community-centric information from Microsoft, including topics like: SQL Server Data Tools · Get started with sample projects, code samples · Video demos by Gert Drapers (blog) · Script common data portability tasks using Sqlpackage.exe · Link to the SSDT … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Administration, Architecture, Challenges, Cloud, Databases, On-Line Resources, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication, Video Tagged With: Azure, Backup & Recovery, Best Practices, DBA, Developer, SQL Server 2012, Virtualization
Squishy Limits in SQL Server Express Edition
It's an old story you've probably heard before. Provide a free version of your software product with strict limitations on performance or other specific capabilities so that folks can give it a try without risk, while you minimize the chance of cannibalizing sales of your commercial products. Microsoft has take this strategy with SQL Server Express Edition, not only to increase adoption in the student market but also to counter the threat of open-source (i.e. free) relational databases like MySQL for entry-level applications. One such limitation of SQL Server Express Edition is that it … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Administration, Databases, Performance, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication, Tips & Tricks Tagged With: DBA, Developer, Express Edition, Internals, Memory, SQL Server 2012
SQL Intersection!
The best emotion to describe how I'm feeling is 'astounded'. I'm astounded that I'm in such august company to be speaking the SQLIntersection (#iSQL) conference. Read the blog post from my first SQL Server mentor, Kimberly Tripp, which tells you all about SQLintersection. Check out this list of speakers: Aaron Bertrand, Sr. Consultant, SQL Sentry, Inc. [blog | twitter] Andrew J. Kelly, Mentor, SolidQ [blog | twitter] Bob Ward, Principal Architect Escalation Engineer, Microsoft [blog | twitter] Brent Ozar, Brent Ozar Unlimited [blog | twitter] Conor Cunningham, Principal … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Administration, Challenges, Cool Technologies, Databases, Hardware, IO, Performance, Presentations, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: AlwaysOn, Best Practices, DBA, Developer, High Availability, Monitoring, Performance, SQL Server 2012
Is Microsoft SQL Server Supported By …?
One of the types of question you get after speaking at a conference about virtualization, like I did at the 2012 PASS Summit with my buddy David Klee (Twitter | Blog), might go down like this: "Is SQL Server version X supported on hypervisor platform Q?" or something even more specific like "Is SQL Server 2012 supported on VMWare vSphere ESX 4.1 Update 2? Or do I have to upgrade to ESX 5.0?". Now, when I'm asked a question like this, I usually drool and act like an ape, hoping the the questioner will flee in terror. If they insist on hanging around to hear a real answer, I now refer them to … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Administration, Compliance, Cool Technologies, Databases, On-Line Resources, SQL Server, SQLMag Tagged With: Best Practices, cloud computing, DBA, Developer
Demo Mastery for the Technology Evangelist
In the same way that the finest presentations involve much more than the simple relaying of information, the finest software demos are much more than just presenting features. REMEMBER: The goal of a demo is to INSPIRE the audience to use the software/technology, not to teach them every nuance of software/technology. I've spent the last 10 years learning how to give good presentations and to give good software demonstrations. Here are several tips to take your software demonstration from informative to masterful: 1. Know your audience Whenever you start a demo, make sure you have a good … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Challenges, Cool Technologies, Databases, Opinion, Presentations, Professional Development, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication, TCD blog post Tagged With: Best Practices, Career, DBA, Developer, Presentations, Professional Development, Training
What’s It Like on a SQLCruise?
I always seem to get a question or two along the lines of "What's it like on a SQLCruise?" as I present at various conferences, SQL Saturdays, and user group meetings. Since we just finished up the 2013 Miami SQLCruise, I thought it'd be a good time to recap so that you can judge for yourself if you'd ever want to do it yourself. Personally, I think that Tim Ford (Twitter | Blog), together with his wife Amy, are doing better than ever in making the cruise both a top-quality learning experience and fantastic social experience. I've heard from many attendees that they learned enough in the … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Conferences, Databases, Presentations, Professional Development, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Career, DBA, Developer, Professional Development, SQL Server 2012, Training
The Year That Was – 2012
2012 was, simply stated, a year that kicked my butt. When I wasn't struggling professionally, I was struggling personally. Health issues, culminating in a diagnosis of Type II diabetes, and the passing of my father soon after Thanksgiving marked my biggest struggles. I apologize to those of you who are normally on my Christmas card list for not sending any this year. The wind was not in my sails. On the positive side of the ledger, I made a scary but exciting leap to SQL Sentry midyear. This was a huge shake-up after 10 years with my previous employer, but one which has been met with … [Read more...]
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Learn More About SQL Server IO and Query Tuning in These Webcasts
I'm doing two new webcasts next week on Wednesday, December 19th, one in the morning and the other after lunch. SSDs are a Game Changer for SQL Server Storage No, don't let the title mislead you. This session is not exclusively about SSDs. But this is my first session on IO and storage tuning that emphasizes SSDs over hard disks. As Bob Dylan said "Times, they are a'changin'". This session on Wednesday, December 19th at 11:30 AM EST, sponsored by Astute Networks, takes you through all of the basics of storage and IO tuning, regardless of the underlying storage technology. I'll … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Administration, Databases, IO, Performance, Presentations, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication, Transact-SQL Programming, Video Tagged With: Best Practices, DBA, Developer, Internals, IO, SAN, SQL Server 2012, SSD, Storage, Training, Transact-SQL Programming, Video
