
Dear SQL DBA Podcast
"Dear SQL DBA" is a free podcast where I talk about database problems, performance tuning, and all sorts of data trouble. Each episode dives into real-world challenges that database professionals face, from query performance mysteries to career advice for DBAs and developers working with SQL Server.
Whether you're troubleshooting slow queries, navigating team dynamics, or figuring out the best way to approach a database problem, this podcast offers practical insights and honest conversations about what it's really like to work with databases.
Episodes by Topic
Performance Tuning & Query Optimization
Erik Darling and Kendra Little Rate SQL Server Performance Tuning Techniques (2024)
Power BI Performance Tuning with Eugene Meidinger (2024)
Erik Darling on Performance Tuning (2023)
Why is My Query Faster the Second Time It Runs? (2016)
What is Adaptive Query Processing? (2016)
Finding Queries that Cause Wait Stats in SQL Server (2017)
Removing Query Hints with Plan Guides (2017)
Batch Mode Hacks for Rowstore Queries in SQL Server (2017)
Are Bad Statistics Making My Query Slow? (2017)
What’s that Garbage in My Execution Plan? (2017)
How Do I Analyze a SQL Server Execution Plan? (2017)
Collect and Baseline Wait Statistics (2016)
Lost in Performance Troubleshooting – Kendra’s Perf Triage for SQL Server (2016)
Why an Upgrade can Cause Performance Regressions (2016)
Outside the Big SAN Box: Identifying Storage and SAN Latency in SQL Server (2016)
Indexes & Statistics
Index Maintenance & Performance (2017)
Should I Rebuild or Reorganize Large Indexes? (2016)
Can I use Statistics to Design Indexes? (2016)
Which is Worse: An Unused Index, or an Un-Indexed Foreign Key? (2016)
Index Types: Heaps, Primary Keys, Clustered and Nonclustered Indexes (2017)
Index Usage Stats Insanity - sys.dm_db_index_usage_stats (2016)
Locking & Blocking
Backups & Recovery
Why is My Transaction Log Growing in My Availability Group? (2017)
When SQL Server Does NOT Use Write Ahead Logging (2017)
Using a Tail Log Backup in a SQL Server Migration (2017)
Write Ahead Log: The Concept that Makes Recovery Models and Backups Make Sense (2017)
Fail Over Again, Fail Better – Preparing for Disaster Recovery (2016)
DevOps & Database Development
Automated Deployments and the Art of the Database with Database Michael J Swart (2023)
3 Things That Shouldn’t Be Normal in Database Development (2020)
The Manager’s Guide to Git Training for DBAs (2020)
How Developers and DBAs collaborate in a DevOps World (2019)
DevOps Terms and Why They Matter to Database Specialists (2018)
Switch in Staging Tables Instead of Renaming Them (2017)
Career & Professional Development
Advice for Technical Leaders with Alex Robson (2023)
Data Roles: DBA, DBRE, and Data Engineer (2023)
What a Software Evangelist Does - and Where the Job is Going (2019)
DBA Jobs: Threats and Opportunities (2019)
Employee Agreements & Contracts - Best Practices (2018)
Employee Agreements & Contracts - Anti-Patterns (2018)
Training Resources for SQL Newbies (2018)
Dealing With a Lack of Control (2018)
Do DBAs Need College Degrees? (2018)
How Do I Prepare for Certification Exams? (2018)
I Want to Work for Myself (2018)
Auto-tuning, and the #1 Mindset Problem I Had as a DBA (2017)
How Does a DBA Build Confidence After Making Mistakes? (2017)
Should I Get Certified as a DBA? (2017)
How Do You Stay Motivated? (2017)
Interviews & Hiring
Tools & Techniques
When NOT to choose SQL Server to store your data (2023)
Everything I Never Wanted to Know About Collation (2020)
Why Don’t You Teach Service Broker? (2018)
The Death of SQL Server Service Packs (2017)
Do I Need to Master PowerShell? (2017)
Should I Automate My Windows Updates? (2016)
Should I Upgrade to SQL Server 2016? (2016)
Is Your SQL Server Running with Scissors? (2016)
Stack Dumps in SQL Server (the “Taking a Dump” episode) (2017)
Next Door to Derpton – When Your Fellow DBA is a Danger to Databases (2016)
Bleeding In Edgeville – When Upgrades Come Too Fast (2016)
Will the Cloud Eat My DBA Job? (2017)
I Thought I Was An Introvert. Turns Out I Was Anxious as F_@_! (2017)