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
176 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
104 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
606 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
1,163 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
479 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
192 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
421 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
536 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
12,284 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
228 reads
Blogs
How to Clear the SSMS Cache (SSMS 21 and Later)
By SQLPals
How to Clear the SSMS Cache (SSMS 21 and Later) Updated...
The flight recorder: Replaying what an AI agent did on my SQL Server
By Arun Sirpal
“What exactly did it do on my server?” is the first question a DBA...
Announcements from the Microsoft Fabric Community Conference — Barcelona 2026
By James Serra
Microsoft shared a broad set of Fabric, Power BI, and SQL updates at FabCon...
Forums
Let's Talk Certifications
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Let's Talk Certifications
The Hidden Security Risks of Role Combination in SSAS Tabular
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Hidden Security Risks of...
The Empty Aggregate
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Empty Aggregate
Question of the Day
The Empty Aggregate
I have this table in a SQL Server 2025 database:
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[CustomerOrder] ( [OrderID] [int] NULL, [CustomerID] [int] NULL, [total] [money] NULL ) ON [PRIMARY] GOWhat is returned from this code? (answers are for the sum and then the count)
SELECT SUM(total) AS sum,
COUNT(total) AS count
FROM dbo.CustomerOrder;
See possible answers