I have always liked information presented to me in lists. Lists are simple, straight-forward, and to the point. If you are like me, then you may want to check out two sources of top 10 lists on SQL Server.

The first one is from PASS, while offers top 10… Read more

This is a reprint of chapter 11 of my book, How to Become an Exceptional DBA, 2nd Edition, which is available as a free e-book here.

Physicians, attorneys, accountants, engineers, realtors, and many other professionals have written guidelines designed to discourage misconduct and illegal activity, and to promote the… Read more

"You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."
- Zig Ziglar

Early in my career, I read a lot of books by self-help gurus, seeking advice on how to make my career successful. While I… Read more

Starting Wednesday, December 9, 2009, I am on vacation until Monday, January 4th, 2010. Instead of traveling somewhere else for my vacation, I will be staying home in Hawaii, catching up after a busy year of travel.

I was just compiling my travel statistics for the year, and this is… Read more

In case you haven’t discovered this for yourself, SQL Server Profiler is one of the most powerful tools that come with SQL Server. It has the ability to gather huge amounts of data you can use to help you identify and troubleshoot many different SQL Server problems. In fact, Profiler… Read more

2010 is beginning to look like a great year for SQLSaturday events this year. Already, there are nine planned, and many more in the works. These free, one-day events are a great way to hone your DBA knowledge, and to develop new contacts. If you are interested in speaking at… Read more

Devenius Software is offering a free tool to help you manage SQL Server encryption keys. Its called the SQL Encryption Assistant (Basic Edition), and it allows you to create, modify, and drop encryptions keys and certificates. There are two versions of the software, one each for SQL Server 2005 and… Read more

While I have been working for Red Gate Software for nearly three years, it was only until this year that I have begun to get actively involved with their SQL Servers, specifically the SQL Servers used as the back-end to the www.SQLServerCentral.com (SSC) and www.Simple-Talk.com (ST) websites. Given that I… Read more