SQL queries can take a long time to run, especially on large tables if not properly indexed. Full table scans can be costly operations when all a user wants is to fetch a few rows based on multiple columns and a WHERE filter. How can we properly index our tables to support multi-column queries?
2026-04-08
I’ve been a fan of sequences ever since they were added in SQL Server 2012. Prior to that, developers had a choice of IDENTITY columns or a roll-your-own table mechanism.
2026-04-06
This guide explains how IDENTITY columns and SEQUENCE objects differ in SQL Server, and how you might decide which one is appropriate for a given design.
2026-04-03
In this article, Pat Wright explains how to identify hidden risks in legacy applications before moving to the cloud. It features practical advice and guidance to avoid migration failures and surprises.
2026-04-01
Companies generate a huge amount of data on a daily basis from such things as sales transactions, inventory changes, and customer interactions. This data originates from different data sources and is stored in operational databases called OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) systems that primary focuses on transactions like data inserts, updates or deletes. Maintaining the transactional data in an OLTP database is important. However, if you need to analyze or report on the data, storing the data in a centralized repository in well-structured schema is necessary.
2026-03-30
There’s a new version of SQL Server released and we’re mainly an on-premises SQL Server shop. We’ve been using Integration Services (SSIS) for years now for all our ETL and data integration needs. With Microsoft’s focus on cloud (Azure and Fabric), does it make sense to upgrade our SSIS packages? Are there any new features?
2026-03-27
There’s not much to database keys, right? When you build a new table, you add a column to act as the primary key, then set it to auto-generate. Done. That’s all there is to know…right?
2026-03-25
Parallelism can reduce concurrency. This is a strong reason not to allow SQL Server to execute queries aggressively in parallel mode. In this tip, I will set up a demo to show that parallelism reduces query performance on a server with high concurrency.
2026-03-23
Every few years, someone asks a familiar question: do we really still need to disable the sa account in SQL Server? After all, it’s 2026. SQL Server has better encryption, better auditing, better defaults, and more security features than ever before. Surely this old guidance belongs in the past?
2026-03-20
SQL Server Management Studio keeps adding features, but unless you look you probably don’t notice. In this article, we look at the new Query Hint Recommendation Tool in SSMS 2022 and how this can be used.
2026-03-18
Slow-running queries can degrade your Redshift cluster’s performance and lead to increased costs. Identifying...
By gbargsley
If you've been here before, you know this blog is usually about SQL Server,...
I’ve been doing storage load tests for SQL Server for a long time, both...
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In SQL Server 2025, a long I/O is recorded in the error log with message 833. How long much an I/O request be outstanding before this message is written to the log?
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