Method to the Madness
Instead of piling on more, often increasingly complex, tools, Tony believes what is needed is a clear roadmap and methodology for systematically addressing SQL Server Performance issues.
2009-05-20
146 reads
Tony Davis
- Interests: football, modern literature, real ale
Staring you in the Face
Tools expand, some might say bloat, at an alarming rate and it's often the case that, in amongst all the clutter, the most valuable features somehow elude us.
2009-05-18
79 reads
The Next Frontier of Performance Troubleshooting
The number of tools for troubleshooting SQL Server performance problems has recently expanded at a dizzying rate. Is the latest one any reason to get excited?
2009-05-04
560 reads
The Disappearing DBA
During a "difficult period", a developer often sinks from view. When things are going well, suddenly they are the gunslinger, the hotshot. The DBA often looks on wistfully. For him, the "fame trajectory" seems to work in reverse.
2009-04-06
1,106 reads
Do DBAs Still Read Technical Books?
Despite my misgivings about the fall from favor of technology books, I was heartened to hear from the developers at Red Gate that the classic books on the art of programming are still important to them. What are the equivalent books for DBAs?
2009-03-23
397 reads
Guest Editorial: Short Transactions
It is ingrained in many developers and DBAs to keep transactions in SQL Server "as short as possible". Why does this mindset exist? Does it imply a deep-seated lack of confidence in the scalability of SQL Server's locking and concurrency models?
2009-03-18
160 reads
What comes first, the application or the database?
Many of the concepts behind Domain Driven Design are noble and valid but the silo-based approach to development that inevitably springs from this philosophy gives Tony Davis cause for concern.
2009-03-09
272 reads
Instrumenting Code - Database Weekly (Feb 23, 2009)
In the Oracle world, great importance is attached to "instrumenting" your application code. However, it seems not to be an issue that is much discussed in SQL Server. Tony Davis wonders why...
2009-02-23
453 reads
SQL Server Crib Sheet Compendium
As a developer, DBA or manager, you may not really want to know all about XML, replication or Reporting Services, but if your next project uses one or more of these technologies heavily then the best place to start is with the 'jungle roof' view of each topic that this Crib Sheet compendium provides.
2009-02-10
11,339 reads
Guest editorial: Reasons to be Cheerful
The furore surrounding the recent release of MySQL 5.1 makes Tony Davis wonder if more than a few web 2.0 developers might be peering over the SQL Server Express fence and wondering if the grass doesn't look slightly greener over here.
2009-02-04
184 reads
Blogs
Migrate datetime data to datetimeoffset with AT TIME ZONE
By Will Assaf
I recently reviewed, worked on, and added a similar example to the DATETIMEOFFSET Microsoft...
The Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Your SQL DBA Skills
Database administrators (DBAs) are the backbone of data-driven organizations. If you're looking to break...
Friday Basics: Authentication vs. Authorization
By Brian Kelley
Another security fundamentals topic is authentication versus authorization. For those who have a clear...
Forums
The OS returned the error '(null)' while attempting 'DeleteFile' filestream.hdr
I have a SQL Server 2019 Enterprise Edition on CU 25. It has in-memory...
Performance
Experts, I am learning some skills so I can troubleshoot some performance-related issues. I...
Question of the Day
Two Table Hints
What happens when I run this code:
SELECT p.ProductName , p.ProductCategory FROM dbo.Product AS p WITH (NOLOCK, TABLOCK);See possible answers