Blogs

How to Script Out Indexes from SQL Server

May 5, 2016

Sometimes you need to script out all the indexes in a database. Maybe you’re concerned something has changed since they were last checked in. Or maybe the indexes aren’t checked into source control, and you’re working on fixing that. (Important!)

Either way, sometimes you need to do it, and it’s not fun through the GUI. I needed to write some fresh demo code for this recently, and I needed it to give the details for partitioned tables using data compression, and I thought I’d share.

Why Table Partitioning Does Not Speed Up Query Performance (video)

in sql

May 3, 2016

Learn why SQL Server’s table partitioning feature doesn’t make your queries faster– and may even make them slower.

Required Testing for Installing SQL Server Cumulative Updates and Service Packs

in sql

April 28, 2016

Microsoft recently updated their policies and recommendations for installing cumulative updates.

What is the Difference between a Junior and Senior DBA?

in sql

April 26, 2016

I got a great question from a student recently:

In your opinion, where is the distinction between Junior DBA and Senior DBA? I’ve always worked on small teams, so sometimes it’s hard to tell where I fit.

Managing Statistics in SQL Server for DBAs (videos)

in sql

April 21, 2016

Want to learn more about managing statistics updates in SQL Server? Watch my 27 minute presentation on managing statistics.

Updating Statistics in SQL Server: Maintenance Questions & Answers

in sql

April 18, 2016

I’ve been asked a lot of questions about updating statistics in SQL Server over the years. And I’ve asked a lot of questions myself! Here’s a rundown of all the practical questions that I tend to get about how to maintain these in SQL Server.

Free Webcast! Updating Statistics in SQL Server: Questions and Answers

in sql

April 14, 2016

What are statistics? How often should you update them? Do you need a trace flag to make this easier? What are duplicate statistics, and do you need to drop them?

Join me for a live Hangout on Monday, April 18 at 8:30 AM Pacific / 11:30 AM Eastern to up your maintenance game!

Change Management Template for SQL Server DBAs and Developers

in sql

April 12, 2016

I learned to do Change Management from some really smart people. When I first became a DBA, I worked at a small software company where changes were released with increasing frequency over the years. Our team was really great at planning and deploying changes, because we constantly worked at improving.

New SSMS Features: Click + Drag and Click + Mouse Scroll

in sql

April 7, 2016

The best features are the ones that you use all the time. SQL Server 2016 Management Studio’s bringing improvements in navigating around execution plans.

Links and Notes from SQL Server Index Formulas, Huntington Beach

in sql

April 5, 2016

I gave a day long session, “SQL Server Index Formulas, Problems and Solutions” in Huntington Beach, CA on April 1. The class was a great group of students, and we had a lively discussion and lots of questions.

Here’s a topic we diagrammed in class, as well as links to extra resources.