Table locking hints provide developers much tighter control of their transactions. Look at the benefits and disadvantages of using the NOLOCK and READPAST table hints in SQL Server  Read more...

In this article Randy Dyness shows you how to avoid temp tables whenever to maximize the performance of your queries.   Read more...

The SQL (Structured Query Language) language is a declarative language that became the "Data Language" used for describing "what I need" and "where to fetch it from" in most organizations. OOP (Object Oriented Programming) languages became the most common practice among developers widely adopted by R&D organizations around the world. So how do we bridge the gap?  Read more...

Every day, out in the various discussion boards devoted to Microsoft SQL Server, the same types of questions come up again and again: Why is this query running slow? Is my index getting used? Why isn't my index getting used? In order to arrive at the answer you have to ask the same return question in each case: have you looked at the execution plan? We are very pleased to be allowed to publish the first chapter of Grant Fritchey's excellent new book on execution plans.  Read more...

The SQL Server 2005 Performance Dashboard is a new add-on to SQL Server 2005 that became available shortly after the release of Service Pack 2 for SQL Server 2005.  Read more...

In this article we will share some of the common reasons for slow-running queries and what your approach should be for identifying and fixing them.   Read more...

SQL 2008 has some key improvements over SQL 2005. This article deals with backup compression and faster backups in SQL 2008  Read more...

This article illustrates how to query dynamic management views to find the TOP queries based on average CPU and average I/O.  Read more...

Indexing a SQL Server database in some respects is considered both an art and a science. Since this is the case, what are some considerations when designing indexes for a new database or an existing one in production? Are these the same types of steps or not? Do any best practices really exist when it comes to indexing? Where does indexing fall in the priority list from an application or production support perspective?  Read more...

How many times have you wished that your queries performed better? Performance Tuning is a bit of an art, but learning about new techniques and which things work help grow your knowledge. Jacob Sebastian brings us the first part of a series on writing better performing queries.   Read more...

SQL Server expert Jeff Moden discusses a common problem seen in many update statements.  Read more...

This article will show you how to use the sys.dm_exec_cached_plans DMV to monitor the performance of stored procedures  Read more...

Is it better to use NOT IN() or <> in a T-SQL query? Ken Johnson had the question put to him and decided to investigate them both. Read about how these two functions perform.   Read more...

You have all read about why object qualification is important. You also must have heard of why stored Proc should not have sp_ as prefix to the name. Now let us proove if this is all true.  Read more...

This article demonstrates the negative affect that linked servers can cause in queries and offers alternatives to speed up performance.  Read more...

Optimize SQL Server non-clustered indexes and queries by considering index fields, compound indexes and SQL Server statistics' impact on non-clustered indexes.  Read more...

This article is a step-by-step checklist to help ensure that you are obtaining the maximum performance possible from SQL Server Analysis Services.  Read more...

How many times have you had a stored procedure run quicker in Query Analyzer than it does in the application? Mike Dillon tracked down one possible cause in this article.   Read more...

Stored procedures can be an effective way to handle conflicting needs, but it's not always so obvious how to write them so they both perform well and scale.  Read more...

A simple UPSERT can reduce reads on tables. This in turn will increase the performance of a DB.  Read more...

SQL 2008 has some key improvements over SQL 2005. This article deals with backup compression and faster backups in SQL 2008  Read more...

SQL Server expert Jeff Moden discusses a common problem seen in many update statements.  Read more...

Every day, out in the various discussion boards devoted to Microsoft SQL Server, the same types of questions come up again and again: Why is this query running slow? Is my index getting used? Why isn't my index getting used? In order to arrive at the answer you have to ask the same return question in each case: have you looked at the execution plan? We are very pleased to be allowed to publish the first chapter of Grant Fritchey's excellent new book on execution plans.  Read more...