Over the years I've had many discussions with other SQL Server Database Administrators as to whether or not you should have the database buffer pool loaded with data pages or empty when testing queries for performance. This tip will take a look at the effects on query performance for both cases by using the DBCC DROPCLEANBUFFERS statement to empty the buffer pool.
2014-06-20
8,763 reads
In the grand finale to Michael Sorens' series of PowerShell one-liners, we come to the handling of data, reading it in and writing it out, whether by files; input/output streams or a database. It shows how it can be done in a variety of formats including CSV, JSON, and XML.
2014-06-19
5,763 reads
Matthew Flatt was trying to measure the performance of a tool interacting with Microsoft Azure, and had trouble getting a consistent test. His solution? Run the tests on VMs in Azure, housed in the same data center as the blob storage.
2014-06-18
2,717 reads
As more and more companies look to the cloud for their data storage needs, the same questions are being asked over and over again: if a security breech were to occur, who would be responsible and how much of a guarantee could the provider give us that our data would be safe from prying eyes.
2014-06-17
5,644 reads
SQL Saturday is coming to Portland, Maine on June 28, 2014. Join us for a free day of SQL Server training and networking. Speakers include Grant Fritchey, Adam Machanic, and Wayne Sheffield. Register while space is available.
2014-06-17
2,498 reads
Joe Celko finds a reference to Conway's Game of Life while clearing out his desk, and is suddenly gripped with nostalgia. It wasn't just flares, mullets and disco, but simple computer games in interpreted basic. Somehow, Conway's Game of Life was too intriguing to be abandoned in the attic. Can it be implemented in SQL? Joe sets up a challenge.
2014-06-16
2,958 reads
It is important to set up SQL Server Agent Security on the principles of 'executing with minimum privileges’, and ensure that errors are properly logged and alerts are set up for a comprehensive range of errors. SQL Server Agent allows fine-grained control of every job step that should allow tasks to be run entirely safely even if they occasionally need special privileges.
2014-06-13
3,563 reads
Daniel Farina demonstrates how to create and test hypothetical indexes with the undocumented DBCC AUTOPILOT command.
2014-06-13
3,858 reads
The articles collected here will help you understand the theories and methodologies behind every stage of the database delivery pipeline, starting when database changes are checked in, and ending when they're deployed to production.
2014-06-12
4,888 reads
What does it take to become a database administrator, or what kinds of traits should I be looking for when I am hiring a DBA. Those traits can be summarized it two categories: Technical and Personal. In this article, Greg Larsen discusses the technical traits a DBA should have.
2014-06-11
5,342 reads
By Brian Kelley
I am guilty as charged. The quote was in reference to how people argue...
By Steve Jones
Learn how to tie a bowline knot. Practice in the dark. With one hand....
By HeyMo0sh
As a DevOps practitioner, I’ve always focused on performance, scalability, and automation. But as...
Hi, I have a SQL Server instance where users connect to via Windows Authentication,...
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Multiple Deployment Processes
Comments posted to this topic are about the item How to Use sqlpackage to...
I have a query from a former DBA that we run on SQL Server 2025 to check on database metadata. This query references sys.sysaltfiles. I want to refactor this code to be more modern. Which DMV should I reference instead?
See possible answers