Microsoft has released Cumulative Update #5 for SQL Server 2014. KB Article: KB #3011055 56 fixes total (47 fixes listed publicly at time of publication). Build number is 12.0.2456 Relevant for @@VERSION 12.0.2000 through...
I walk through several potential causes for different plans and/or performance for the same database on two "identical" servers.
Tip : Finding SQL Server views with (or without) a certain property
I reflect on SQLSaturday #350, and the awesome after-party at Heather Curling Club in St. Boniface, in the not-quite-frozen tundra known as Winnipeg, Manitoba.
I discuss a handful of reasons "identical" queries might yield multiple plans, contributing to plan cache bloat.
Tip : Over 40 queries to find SQL Server tables with or without a certain property
Microsoft has released Cumulative Updates for SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 1 and Service Pack 2. Note that RTM is no longer supported and you should be moving to the SP2 branch soon. SQL...
I share slide decks and demo files from three different November Shows – PASS Summit in Seattle, WA; SQLintersection in Las Vegas, NV; and SQLSaturday #350 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
I am live-blogging the Thursday keynote from the PASS Summit in Seattle, WA. The topic is Cloud Databases 101.
I am live-blogging from the Women in Technology Luncheon, hosted by Kimberly Bryant, founder of Black Girls CODE.
Tip : Verify the databases a SQL Server login can see – and why
I am live-blogging the Wednesday keynote from the PASS Summit in Seattle, WA. "The Journey to Cloud Continues."
I show some tricks for getting row counts efficiently, and explain why an accurate row count for a large table is a pipe dream.
I repeat "Bad habits" advice from the past about using statement terminators and schema references to avoid debugging troubles.
Microsoft has released Cumulative Update #4 for SQL Server 2014. KB Article: KB #2999197 66 fixes total (54 fixes listed publicly at time of publication), including several fixes for Management Studio. Build number is...
I demonstrate an affordable approach to readable secondaries, without the need for Availability Groups and all the licensing costs involved with Enterprise Edition and Software Assurance.
Tip : Map between SQL Server SIDs and Windows SIDs
I point out that an often-used connection setting, AttachDBFileName, may be the source of many wasted hours of debugging and troubleshooting.
Tip : Drop and Re-Create All Foreign Key Constraints in SQL Server
Microsoft has released the final Service Pack (SP4) for SQL Server 2008. Build # 10.00.6000 KB Article: KB #2979596 (Download) 6 public fixes, including important security fixes from MS14-044 Relevant for builds < 10.00.6000...
I treat a common scenario: behavior differs between two SQL Server databases that may be the same version, but different compatibility levels.
Tip : What Effect Does Persisting a Computed Column Have in SQL Server?
Microsoft has released a final service pack for SQL Server 2008 R2: Service Pack 3. The build # is 10.50.6000.34 and you can download it here. This is essentially a rollup of all of...
I discuss the NOLOCK hint in SQL Server, and why you want to avoid slapping it onto every table mentioned in every query.
Tip : What Happens When a Computed Column is Persisted in SQL Server?
I discuss examples where people expect SQL Server to perform tasks that really should be performed outside the scope of the database.
Tip : Change All Computed Columns to Persisted in SQL Server
I discuss ten common cases of misplaced optimization.
The SQL Server team has released two cumulative updates for SQL Server 2012. SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 2 Cumulative Update #2 KB Article: KB #2983175 Build # is 11.0.5548 Currently there are 50...
Tip : SQL Server Video – Tricks to play on your DBA – 2
For T-SQL Tuesday #58, I discuss a few of the reasons people give out the sa password, and what you should do in those cases instead.
I explain why you should avoid helper functions, and join against the catalog views instead.
Following up on Grouped Concatenation in SQL Server and Grouped Concatenation: Ordering and Removing Duplicates, I provide four real-world examples where grouped concatenation allows you to avoid the monotony of cursors and while loops.
I team up with Grant Fritchey to share an ice cold video for the #iceBucketChallenge, trying to help raise awareness for #ALS, and challenge some colleagues to follow our lead.
I take a closer look at some additional requirements for typical grouped concatenation queries in SQL Server.
Tip : SQL Server Video – Tricks to play on your DBA – 1
Microsoft has released Cumulative Update #3 for SQL Server 2014. Important! This Cumulative Update includes MS14-044, which I blogged about here and also mention here. KB Article: KB #2984923 32 fixes listed publicly at time...
If you are running 2008 SP3, 2008 R2 SP2, 2012 SP1 (SP2 is not affected, RTM is no longer supported), or 2014, you'll want to check out Security Bulletin MS14-044 for details on a...
I use a T-SQL Tuesday theme to demonstrate a use case for the SQL_VARIANT data type that you may not have considered: Conditional ORDER BY.
I show the safest and most efficient ways to perform grouped concatenation in SQL Server.
Tip : Why the SQL Server FORCESCAN hint exists
The SQL Server team has released SQL Server 2012 SP2 Cumulative Update #1. This cumulative updates Service Pack 2 to include the fixes from SP1 CU#10 and a few from CU#11, including the fix...
The SQL Server team has released SQL Server 2012 SP1 Cumulative Update #11. This cumulative update includes a fix for the online index rebuild corruption issue I discussed recently on SQLPerformance.com. KB Article: KB...
I provide links to presentations (one with colleague Kevin Kline) at SQL Bits XII.
This month's T-SQL Tuesday is about assumptions in SQL Server.
Microsoft has released the final Cumulative Update (#13) for SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 2. KB Article: KB #2967540 15 public fixes listed at time of publication (17 fixes total) Build number is...
Microsoft has released Cumulative Update #2 for SQL Server 2014. Important! This Cumulative Update fixes the data loss / corruption issue with online index rebuilds that I talked about in this blog post on...
Following a recent update, I take a first look at a new performance enhancement and trace flag (2453) aimed at improving cardinality estimates for table variables and table-valued parameters.
I look at some unexpected behavior with the CASE expression and some of its derivatives.
Service Pack 2 is available: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=43340 The build number is 11.0.5058, and this includes fixes up to and including SQL Server 2012 SP1 CU #9. (The complete list of fixes is exhaustive, including all...
