I’ve been exploring execution plans in Azure SQL Databases a lot lately. I’m getting a presentation together for  some upcoming SQL Saturday events (first one is SQL Saturday #177, Silicon Valley). If you scroll to the bottom of this previous post, I mentioned that there were clearly differences… Read more

In my previous post showing how to get to execution plans in the Database Management Portal, I showed that it’s pretty easy to put a query in a query window and get the execution plan. This allows you to understand query behavior in order to tune your T-SQL or your… Read more

I was very privileged to get the opportunity to write a chapter in a book with some of my friends and SQL Family, Pro SQL Server 2012 Practices
. Just as each of us took a chapter to write, each of us going to take a chapter to review. But,… Read more

I heard about this new law that was passed to prevent employers from asking for your social media passwords. After the laughter stopped, I realized that, maybe, this would be needed. Not because I need the government to help me manage my interactions with my employers and potential employers.… Read more

If you’ve been working with the Azure SQL Database portal, you know that you have a query window. Within the query window you can run queries against your server. You’ll get back results, timing, everything you need to observe behavior within the system. What’s that? You never heard of this?… Read more

I have lists. Lots of lists. I even have them in different locations sometimes. Some of them are carefully written down in my notebook, others are typed into OneNote and I’ve been experimenting with Remember the Milk and Trello (Trello is winning). These lists include ideas for presentations, blogs, articles.… Read more

By default statistics are created automatically within SQL Server. And, by default, these stats are updated automatically based on a set of triggers. The triggers are defined as

• If 0 rows – Any data added leads to a statistics update
• If < 500 rows – 500 rows added causes a…

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If you’re over in the UK, or close to it, you’ve probably heard of SQL Bits even if you haven’t attended. If you’re across the pond here in the US or somewhere else you may have heard of SQL Bits, but few of you have gone. Well, let me tell… Read more