As a developer, if you need to go into the database and write queries, design tables, or determine the configuration of your SQL Server Systems, these tips should help make sure you're not unnecessarily sacrificing database performance. This eBook has 45 easy tips to improve the performance of your indexes and T-SQL queries, and hunt down problems within ORM tools and database design.   Read more...

This article includes an examination of how I improved update performance. We examine four methods of loading data into a data warehouse.  Read more...

The SQL MERGE statement offers convenience, safety and elegance, but how does it perform compared to other methods?  Read more...

DBAs rarely use the full potential of sys.dm_exec_query_stats.  It’s common to see the queries for looking at the most expensive...  Read more...

Page Life Expectancy is one of the most important counters in SQL Server. In my last post on OS Performance...  Read more...

I have to give credit where credit is due. Microsoft has definitely made performance tuning easier in SQL Server 2012. Performance...  Read more...

Page splits are a normal occurring process in an OLTP system.  However, too many page splits can cause performance issues...  Read more...

Script to help you analyze a trace to find worst performing procs.  Read more...

I’m 30 today. In addition, it’s been 10 years since I started working with SQL Server. In my twenties, I fell in...  Read more...

Often when tracking down problems, you need to know if anything has changed recently, this script will tell you...  Read more...

Capturing the activity on a server when a problem occurs can be a challenge for many DBAs. This article shows how you can automate the capture of information when a CPU spike occurs.  Read more...

I came across an interesting issue recently with NHibernate, now it is widely known I despise ORM’s, in my experience...  Read more...

The way we write code impacts our users, but it can also impact our wallet, especially in cloud computing. Steve Jones wonders how many people bother to profile and test their code.  Read more...

In a previous post, I discussed running SQLIO against multiple files.  The purpose in using multiple files is being able...  Read more...

I know I have been light on blog posting this year. They always say that life tends to get in...  Read more...

This script will provide a dynamic mechanism to decide between REBUILDING an index or simply REORGANIZING an index. Tested and approved for SQL Server 2005 & 2008 Standard or Enterprise or R2.  Read more...