Diagnose and resolve latch contention on SQL Server
This guide describes how to identify and resolve latch contention issues observed when running SQL Server applications on high concurrency systems with certain workloads.
2021-08-30
Performance and Tuning
More on Column Choice and Order for Multi-column Non-Clustered Indexes
In the last year I’ve published articles on indexes to include Indexes: When Column Selectivity Is Not Always A Requirement – SQLServerCentral and Query Optimizer Suggests Wrong Index and Query Plan -- Why? – SQLServerCentral. This article is a continuation of just how the optimizer interacts with the index wizard. We’ve all heard and read […]
2021-07-07
3,875 reads
Performance Tuning Means 3 Things
Brent Ozar discusses performance tuning and how From the outside it looks more complicated than it is, but at the end of the day, it always comes back to just 3 knobs and knowing which ones you can turn.
2020-02-07
A Self-Tuning Fill Factor Technique for SQL Server – Part 2
Introduction Fill Factor is a parameter most of us have ignored because there is no definitive way to calculate what the correct value should be. Part 1 of this series describes a new technique to dynamically determine index fill factors for all indexes within a database. Part 2 covers an analysis of the data collection […]
2019-08-27
4,021 reads
Waits and Queues
This week Steve is wondering if you know how to use waits and queues for troubleshooting.
2019-08-23
686 reads
A Self-Tuning Fill Factor Technique for SQL Server – Part 1
Introduction So what’s all the fuss about Fill Factor? It is a SQL Server parameter I’ve ignored for 20+ years. The main reason was/is I’ve had no idea about what value to use. There is just no documented definitive guidance. Back in April at SQL Saturday #830 - Colorado Springs, I attended two sessions by […]
2019-08-20
9,141 reads
Are your CPU-intensive queries running slowly? Check your VM type.
When you build a VM for SQL Server in Amazon EC2, Azure VMs, or Google Compute Engine, it’s all too easy to overlook the CPU speeds that you’re getting.
2019-05-03
A Brief History of Deadlock and Modern Approach of Resolution
Deadlocks have been constant troublemakers for database professionals for years. They seem to show up from nowhere and keep on happening again and again. Pinal Dave provides some oversight.
2019-04-05
SQL Server Logical Reads – What do they really tell us?
SQL Server trace, the most common tool DBAs use to evaluate query performance, provides the ‘logical reads’ counter on which many DBAs rely for evaluating a query’s I/O performance. In this article, we will examine this counter’s true meaning and provide examples that prove it can sometimes be quite misleading
2019-01-15
3,258 reads
SQL Server Logical Reads – What do they really tell us?
In this article, we will examine this counter’s true meaning and provide examples that prove it can sometimes be quite misleading
2018-12-10
2,593 reads
Blogs
Au Revoir for now
By Steve Jones
No, I’m not quitting or retiring. Just going on vacation, but I leave tonight...
The SUM of Nothing: #SQLNewBlogger
By Steve Jones
I caught this interesting item over on Pinal Dave’s blog: Eleven Interview Questions that...
Forums
Building a SQL Server Fleet Audit That Leadership Actually Reads
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Building a SQL Server Fleet...
Smart AI Agents and Data Security
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Smart AI Agents and Data...
RegEx Functions IV
Comments posted to this topic are about the item RegEx Functions IV
Question of the Day
RegEx Functions IV
I have this data in a table in a SQL Server 2025 database:
EmailAddressID EmailAddress 7 dylan0@ADVENTURE-WORKS.COM 8 Diane1@ADVENTURE-WORKS.COMIf I run this query, which row(s) are returned?
SELECT top 10 * FROM person.EmailAddress WHERE REGEXP_LIKE(EmailAddress, '^D', 'i') AND BusinessEntityID IN (7,8)See possible answers