Blogs

The Case of the Rowgroup Deadlock in a Columnstore Index

I came across a fun deadlock when writing demos for my session on the Read Committed isolation level this week. (It’s OK to call it “fun” when it’s not production code, right?)

I was playing around with a nonclustered columnstore index on a disk-based table. Here’s what I was doing:

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Do I Need to Master PowerShell?

As a SQL Server DBA, do you need to be a master of PowerShell scripts?

In this 9 minute episode, I talk about how much you need to know about PowerShell, and examples of ways I personally use (and struggle with) PowerShell.

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SSMS Shortcuts & Secrets - Live Webcast Edition (video)

Last week, I had a great time giving a webcast for the terrific DBA Fundamentals Virtual Chapter. If you like free online training, check them out and sign up for future events.

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SQL PASS Summit 2017: Tips on Attending

I’ll be attending and presenting at the SQL PASS Summit in Seattle Washington this year from Oct 31-Nov 3. In this week’s 19 minute episode, I share why I’m excited about going and why I’ve purchased a seat for a pre-conference session. I also give my tips on how to get the most value out of a big conference like the PASS Summit.

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Shortcut Update: Toggling Intellisense in SSMS

I like to use the keyboard whenever I can in SQL Server Management Studio. It’s not always easy to remember every shortcut though– especially when those shortcuts change!

Since around the SQL Server 2012 era, you’ve been able to switch Intellisense on or  off on SSMS with the shortcut chord: CTRL + Q, CTRL + I. I remembered this as “Control Quacky Intellisense.”

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How Do You Stay Motivated? (Dear SQL DBA Episode 47)

Over the years, readers have asked me: “How do you stay motivated?” Sticking with a learning plan, blogging, or becoming a public speaker isn’t easy.

In this 15 minute episode, I share how I think about motivation and what keeps me going.

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You faked your resume... now what? (video with transcript)

This week’s question from a reader: “How do I deal with interview questions asking about real-world scenarios when I’ve faked three years of experience on my resume?”

Hear my answer in this 14 minute video.

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sp_query_store_flush_db, Query Store, and Backups

One of the cool things about Query Store is that you can back it up with the database.

This isn’t perfect for every situation, because you must back up the whole database. If you’ve got a multi-terabyte database, your Query Store isn’t super portable! But still, it’s great to have an option.

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How to Get Email Notifications for TSQLTuesday

Lots of us want to write for TSQL Tuesday, but aren’t always on Twitter at the right time each month to see when the announcement comes out using the #tsql2sday hash tag. And maybe we have an RSS feed set up, but we often get behind on a big pile of posts to read. (Guilty!)

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