Which is Better: Heaps or Tables with Clustered Indexes?

I have always been of the personal opinion that all SQL Server tables have a clustered index. As part of...

Challenging the Tyranny of Third-Party Vendors: A DBA’s Manifesto

Over the years, I have dealt with a lot of third-party applications (and their vendors) that use SQL Server as their back-end databases. It has often been an uneasy relationship, fraught with pain and tribulation. The overriding feeling I have gotten...

Registration for SQLBits in Manchester, England is Now Open

Registration for SQLBits IV, to be held in Manchester, England on Saturday, March 28, 2009, is now open. This free...

Brad's Sure Guide to SQL Server 2008

SQL Server 2008 has hundreds of new features and improvements for Production DBAs, Developer DBAs, and Business Intelligence specialists…in this book I focus on what I thought were the ten most important new features for Production DBAs.

How to Become an Exceptional DBA

Brad McGehee provides a "career guide" for DBAs. It is intended both to help prospective DBAs find a "way in" to the profession, and to advise existing DBAs on how they can excel at their jobs, and so become Exceptional DBAs.

Guest Editorial: Do You Run Antivirus Software on Your SQL Servers?

Every DBA needs to give serious consideration to the level of antivirus/antispyware protection they need on their SQL Server instances, and to the performance implications of the strategy they choose.

Mastering SQL Server Profiler

SQL Server Profiler can troubleshoot a wide range of SQL Server issues, such as poorly-performing queries, locking and blocking, excessive table/index scanning, and a lot more. Brad's book will allow you to master the use of this versatile tool.

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SQL Server Training: 2009 Conferences

Being a DBA demands that you keep up with the latest technology, and conferences are one of the best ways to do that. So, despite the fact that training budgets may be shrinking, I suggest you begin lobbying your manager to attend as many SQL Server events as you can. If you can't get your company to send you to a paid conference, then try to attend one of the free ones, on your own time.

Challenging the Tyranny of Third-Party Vendors: A DBA’s Manifesto

Over the years, I have dealt with a lot of third-party applications (and their vendors) that use SQL Server as...

Interested in Boosting the Performance of SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services?

Microsoft has published a white paper called SQL Server 2008 White Paper: Analysis Services Performance Guide that you might find...