Regular Columnist: Tony Davis

Tony Davis argues that the WITH REPLACE option of the RESTORE DATABASE command is a case where the naming of the option masks its true "JFDI" nature…  Read more...

A lot has been written about the potential performance benefits of SQL Server data compression; but hard performance data? Not so much.  Read more...

A lot has been written about the potential performance benefits of SQL Server data compression; but hard performance data? Not so much.  Read more...

Databases are unique in IT that they are singularly resistant to 'best practice' advice. Any such advice can never be anything other than a starting position for tests in your own environment.  Read more...

Tony Davis reflects on the existential angst felt by the DBA separated from his or her hardware.  Read more...

There's more information hidden behind those graphical plans than you might first suspect.  Read more...

Whereas there are plenty of experts prepared to help with the technology, few seem to come forward when the struggle is against the bureaucracy rather than a recalcitrant server. Where are all the SQL MVBs (Masters at Vanquishing Bureaucracy) when you need them!?  Read more...

In order to gain better support for learning and training opportunities, the DBA needs to prove a direct link to productivity and results, in words and numbers the CEO will understand.  Read more...

I'd like to hear the thoughts of DBAs out there on Windows and SQL Azure, and the prospects of moving applications and databases into the clouds. How many DBAs work for companies that have done it or are seriously considering it? What are the deepest concerns?  Read more...

In FULL recovery mode it is possible to do a point-in-time restore of a database. It is thankfully a rare event. Tony explains what's involved  Read more...

Tony describes in more detail the SIMPLE recovery model, and the way it works, its advantages and disadvantages.  Read more...

This article discusses the different types of backup and recovery models and gives the essential facts that will guide you to being able to achieve a recovery of a database to a point in time.  Read more...

In order to make it easier to understand truncation, space reuse and fragmentation in the log file, Tony gives a brief explanation of how the transaction log works.  Read more...

The transaction log is used by SQL Server to maintain data consistency and integrity. If the database is not in Simple-recovery mode, it can also be used in an appropriate backup regime to restore the database to a point in time.  Read more...

Any DBA who has been bitten by these subtle data integrity issues, or reports that erratically produce the wrong results, will know how much careful testing is involved in mitigating them.   Read more...

For many, there is something disconcerting in the idea of the Query Optimizer; they crave control, but it really is best to take a back seat and let the Optimizer do its job.  Read more...

There still seems to be a lot of fear, uncertainty and doubt, in the community, with regard to use of Hyper-threading (HT) with SQL Server workloads. So, how and when should it be used?   Read more...

Given that disk storage has come down substantially in price over recent years, will RAID 5 continue to be relevant as a storage configuration for databases?  Read more...

If SSDs are about to make obsolete one of the major driving forces behind the development of SANs (disk latency) then how is the storage array going to change in the near future?  Read more...

You believe that an index is unused and so could be removed, and yet, your finger hovers nervously over the metaphorical "delete" button. You can't quite bring yourself to do it. Is it really safe to drop this index? Tony wonders if "invisible indexes" might solve this dilemma.  Read more...