Statistics and the Ascending Key Problem
I’ve mentioned previously how not having up to date statistics can cause problems in query performance. This post looks at something called the Ascending Key Problem which can badly...
2021-02-09
184 reads
Matthew McGiffen DBA
What are Statistics in SQL Server?
Statistics are vitally important in allowing SQL Server to find the most efficient way to execute your queries. In this post we learn more about them, what they are...
2021-03-24 (first published: 2021-02-01)
400 reads
Rowcount estimates when there are no Statistics
When you don't have statistics, what does SQL use to calculate the estimated number of rows?
2021-02-04 (first published: 2021-01-26)
296 reads
When do Statistics get updated?
Statistics objects are important for allowing the SQL Server Optimizer to make good estimates and form efficient execution plans. Related to that it's useful for us to understand when...
2021-01-25 (first published: 2021-01-18)
502 reads
How does Query Store capture cross database queries?
Query Store is a configuration that is enabled per database, and the plans and stats for queries executed in that database are stored in the database itself. So what...
2021-01-18 (first published: 2021-01-11)
472 reads
Identify the (Top 20) most expensive queries across your SQL Server using Query Store
Script to identify the most expensive queries on your database server using the Query Store DMVs. This allows you to look at data from a specific time frame, as...
2021-01-11 (first published: 2021-01-04)
695 reads
SQL Puzzle – Eight Queens on a Chess board
Here's a SQL Puzzle for the festive period. 2020 has been a year of many things but amongst it all, it has been the year of chess. The combined...
2020-12-24 (first published: 2020-12-15)
537 reads
Introduction to SQL Server Query Store
Introduced with SQL 2016, Query Store was, probably without doubt, the most anticipated and talked out new feature. In this post we'll just take a brief look at it,...
2020-12-21 (first published: 2020-12-14)
934 reads
TDE in Standard Edition on SQL 2019
Recently Microsoft quietly let us know that TDE (Transparent Data Encryption) will be available in the Standard Edition of SQL Server 2019. If you don’t follow SQL topics on...
2019-11-12 (first published: 2019-11-05)
7,125 reads
Why Does Everyone Have More Friends Than You?
No, the answer isn’t because you’re a DBA. This isn’t a technical post about databases, but rather a discussion of a statistical paradox that I read about recently. Statistics...
2019-10-01
40 reads
Blogs
Claude Code Helps Analyze Test Data Manager Log Files
By Steve Jones
I had a customer ask about analyzing their Test Data Manager (TDM) usage to...
PowerPoint to HTML with Claude AI
By Steve Jones
I had an idea for an animated view of a sales tool, and started...
Don’t Miss Out – SQL Server Query Tuning Fundamentals Starts Next Monday!
Next Monday, February 9, 2026, my one-day live online training SQL Server Query Tuning...
Forums
Why the following cmds in sequence do not work
I need to delete rows from both the temporal main and history tables. The...
When SQL Server Central Went Down
Comments posted to this topic are about the item When SQL Server Central Went...
The String Distance I
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The String Distance I
Question of the Day
The String Distance I
In SQL Server 2025, what is returned by this code:
SELECT EDIT_DISTANCE('tim', 'tom')
Assume preview features are enabled. See possible answers