SQLServerCentral Article

PostgreSQL Aggregate Functions

Overview In this article we will go through the various in built aggregate functions available in PostgreSQL. Aggregate functions perform a calculation on a set of rows and return a single value. COUNT Function The COUNT function is a simple and very useful function in counting the number of records, which are expected to be […]

SQLServerCentral Article

Unmasking CXPACKET and CXCONSUMER in SQL Server: What Your Execution Plan Isn’t Telling You

This article dives deep into cxpacket and cxconsumer in sql server, explaining how to simulate each, when they appear, and why they matter. Using live execution plans, wait monitoring, and worker thread diagnostics, we uncover how uneven parallelism triggers thread sync waits—and how SQL Server sometimes hides real issues behind innocent-looking CXCONSUMER waits. Includes step-by-step queries, tuning tips, and a real-world scenario where repartition streams quietly ruined performance.

External Article

State Transition Constraints

About two decades ago, I introduced the concept of transition constraints to show Data Validation in a database is a lot more complex than seeing if a string parameter really is an integer. In October of 2008, I did an article called Constraint Yourself! on how to use DDL constraints to assure data integrity. One of the topics in that piece was a look at state transition constraints via an auxiliary table.

SQLServerCentral Editorial

The Long Weekend

In the US, this is the Independence Day weekend. I had a few spare vacation days, so I tacked one on, making this a four day weekend. My plans are simple. Prep for my family coming over on the 5th for a celebration of the 4th (Ha!). Work on my query tuning book (gotta make […]

SQLServerCentral Editorial

Own Your Mistakes

Hello, Grant again as Steve is on sabbatical. My evenings and weekends are currently being used to update my SQL Server query performance book for 2025. I really enjoy it because writing the book forces me to structure my learning on SQL Server 2025, not just hit it in some slipshod manner. Plus, I've got […]

Blogs

Microsoft Fabric Data Agents: Bringing Structured and Unstructured Data Together

By

Most enterprise questions do not live neatly in one place. The numbers may be...

Keeping Redshift System Table History Past 7 Days with S3 Tables

By

Redshift keeps its SYS_* monitoring views for seven days in cluster, which is fine...

Updating the Data API Builder

By

I was updating my session for the Data API Builder (DAB) recently, mostly to...

Read the latest Blogs

Forums

Parameter Sensitive Plan Optimization vs. Parameter Sniffing: What SQL Server Fixes and What It Doesn't

By vgupta

Comments posted to this topic are about the item Parameter Sensitive Plan Optimization vs....

Hyperscale Replicas I

By Steve Jones - SSC Editor

Comments posted to this topic are about the item Hyperscale Replicas I

The End of Summer

By Steve Jones - SSC Editor

Comments posted to this topic are about the item The End of Summer

Visit the forum

Question of the Day

Hyperscale Replicas I

What types of secondary replicas are available for the Azure SQL Database Hyperscale edition?

See possible answers