Being an extremely productive DBA
In order to gain better support for learning and training opportunities, the DBA needs to prove a direct link to productivity and results, in words and numbers the CEO will understand.
2011-07-18
298 reads
Tony Davis
- Interests: football, modern literature, real ale
Cloud Barriers
I'd like to hear the thoughts of DBAs out there on Windows and SQL Azure, and the prospects of moving applications and databases into the clouds. How many DBAs work for companies that have done it or are seriously considering it? What are the deepest concerns?
2011-07-04
116 reads
DBAs on ACID
Any DBA who has been bitten by these subtle data integrity issues, or reports that erratically produce the wrong results, will know how much careful testing is involved in mitigating them.
2011-04-04
283 reads
Let the optimizer drive
For many, there is something disconcerting in the idea of the Query Optimizer; they crave control, but it really is best to take a back seat and let the Optimizer do its job.
2011-02-07
213 reads
Is hyper-threading still relevant for SQL Server?
There still seems to be a lot of fear, uncertainty and doubt, in the community, with regard to use of Hyper-threading (HT) with SQL Server workloads. So, how and when should it be used?
2011-01-24
839 reads
RAID 5 and SQL Server
Given that disk storage has come down substantially in price over recent years, will RAID 5 continue to be relevant as a storage configuration for databases?
2011-01-10
830 reads
How will SSDs change SQL Server storage arrays?
If SSDs are about to make obsolete one of the major driving forces behind the development of SANs (disk latency) then how is the storage array going to change in the near future?
2010-12-06
537 reads
Can I really drop that index?
You believe that an index is unused and so could be removed, and yet, your finger hovers nervously over the metaphorical "delete" button. You can't quite bring yourself to do it. Is it really safe to drop this index? Tony wonders if "invisible indexes" might solve this dilemma.
2010-11-01
421 reads
DMVs: are they worth the effort?
Many of the SQL Server DMVs still have a wild, unfinished feel but they are an incredibly useful tool for DBA, well-worth the sweat and toil required to learn and query them effectively.
2010-08-23
459 reads
Clustered Indexes? Sedimentary, my dear Watson
There is much sound advice suggesting that every table should have a clustered index, and that narrow, integer, ever-increasing columns, such as afforded by an IDENTITY column are the best choice. But is the sedimentary approach really the natural order of the day?
2010-05-24
487 reads
Blogs
How to Clear the SSMS Cache (SSMS 21 and Later)
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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