Edward Pollack in BI

Vertipaq optimization and its impact on columnstore compression

Vertipaq optimization is a critical component of the columnstore compression process. Edward Pollack explains how it works and what you...

19 January 2022 21 min read

Azure

Mike Wood in Azure

Azure Policies and Management Groups

You can define policies for your Azure SQL Databases for security and meeting your organization’s standards. Management groups simplify policies...

13 December 2021 11 min read

Performance

Edward Pollack in Performance

Automating SQL Server Extended Events: Permanent Tables and Scheduled Collection

Automate SQL Server Extended Events data collection: store event XML in permanent tables, build a stored procedure to manage the...

04 October 2021 19 min read

Editorials

Kathi Kellenberger in Editorials

The challenges of ever-growing estates

Each year Redgate runs a survey to determine the state of database monitoring. This year, instead of one large report,...

21 September 2021 3 min read

Database Administration

Edward Pollack in Database Administration

SQL Server Extended Events: Creating Sessions, Events, Actions, Filters, and Targets

Build a SQL Server Extended Events session from the ground up - choosing events, attaching actions, applying filters, selecting targets...

14 September 2021 15 min read

T-SQL Programming

Kathi Kellenberger in T-SQL Programming

LAG in SQL Server: Performance vs Self-Join, CTE, APPLY, and Cursors Benchmarked

Benchmarked comparison of the SQL Server LAG function against eight alternative techniques for including a column from a previous row:...

07 September 2021 13 min read

Azure

Robert Sheldon in Azure

The Azure SQL portfolio

Microsoft provides many ways to run SQL Server in Azure, but which do you choose? In this article, Robert Sheldon...

01 September 2021 14 min read

Performance

Fabiano Amorim in Performance

SQL Compilations/sec: What This Metric Really Means

Why the standard SQL Compilations/sec guideline is misleading for ad hoc workloads. Covers plan cache behavior, auto-parameterization, forced parameterization, and...

29 July 2021 25 min read

Database Administration

Greg Larsen in Database Administration

Improving performance with instant file initialization

Instant file initialization can speed up database creation, file growth, and restores. Greg Larsen explains how to configure it and...

23 July 2021 12 min read

Performance

Edward Pollack in Performance

Collecting SQL Server performance monitor data

SQL Server provides information for troubleshooting performance. Ed Pollack demonstrates collecting SQL Server performance monitor data.…

20 July 2021 20 min read

Learn SQL Server

Priyanka Chouhan in Learn SQL Server

SQL Server High Availability and Disaster Recovery: Always-On AGs, Log Shipping, Failover Clusters, and DR Planning

Complete SQL Server HA/DR guide covering terminology (RTO, RPO, RLO), high-availability options (Always-On Availability Groups, failover clusters, database mirroring), disaster...

14 July 2021 27 min read

Editorials

Kathi Kellenberger in Editorials

How to learn about Azure SQL

It was always important to me to keep up with the latest versions of SQL Server, but especially so when...

09 July 2021 3 min read

Performance

Edward Pollack in Performance

SQL Server performance monitor data: Introduction and usage

Monitoring SQL Server for performance is a critical part of a DBA’s job. In this article, Edward Pollack explains some...

29 June 2021 13 min read

Azure

Image of author: Mahendran Purushothaman

Mahendran Purushothaman in Azure

Autoscaling in Microsoft Azure

The ability to scale up and down without maintaining extra hardware is one of the best cloud computing features. In...

16 June 2021 10 min read

Database Administration

Robert Sheldon in Database Administration

SQL Server and hyperconvergence

To be efficient and save money, many organizations are looking at hyperconverged infrastructures for SQL Server. In this article, Robert...

15 June 2021 16 min read

Learn SQL Server

Greg Larsen in Learn SQL Server

SQL Server transaction log architecture

The transaction log file for a SQL Server database critical for for maintaining database integrity. In this article, Greg Larsen...

08 June 2021 12 min read

Database Administration

Robert Sheldon in Database Administration

SQL Server performance tuning: Nine best practices

SQL Server performance tuning can seem overwhelming when you don’t know where to start. In this article Robert Sheldon explains...

28 May 2021 14 min read

Learn SQL Server

Pamela Mooney in Learn SQL Server

DBA in training: SQL Server high availability options

DBAs must make sure data is highly available, and there are many SQL Server high availability options. Pamela Mooney discusses...

19 May 2021 23 min read

Editorials

Kathi Kellenberger in Editorials

What is an ad hoc query?

Someone recently asked me which queries are ad hoc in SQL Server. An ad hoc query is a single query...

04 May 2021 4 min read

Performance

Edward Pollack in Performance

SQL Server Plan Cache Mining: Plan Attributes, SET Options, and Compatibility

Mine the SQL Server execution plan cache with sys.dm_exec_plan_attributes: analyse compatibility level, SET options, DATEFORMAT, and DATEFIRST settings that affect...

26 April 2021 20 min read

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sql monitor

Vertipaq optimization and its impact on columnstore compression

Azure Policies and Management Groups

Automating SQL Server Extended Events: Permanent Tables and Scheduled Collection

The challenges of ever-growing estates

SQL Server Extended Events: Creating Sessions, Events, Actions, Filters, and Targets

LAG in SQL Server: Performance vs Self-Join, CTE, APPLY, and Cursors Benchmarked

The Azure SQL portfolio

SQL Compilations/sec: What This Metric Really Means

Improving performance with instant file initialization

Collecting SQL Server performance monitor data

SQL Server High Availability and Disaster Recovery: Always-On AGs, Log Shipping, Failover Clusters, and DR Planning

How to learn about Azure SQL

SQL Server performance monitor data: Introduction and usage

Autoscaling in Microsoft Azure

SQL Server and hyperconvergence

SQL Server transaction log architecture

SQL Server performance tuning: Nine best practices

DBA in training: SQL Server high availability options

What is an ad hoc query?

SQL Server Plan Cache Mining: Plan Attributes, SET Options, and Compatibility