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Optimizing Transaction Log Throughput

As a DBA, it is vital to manage transaction log growth explicitly, rather than let SQL Server auto-growth events "manage" it for you. If you undersize the log, and then let SQL Server auto-grow it in small increments, you'll end up with a very fragmented log. This article demonstrates how this can have a significant impact on the performance of any SQL Server operations that need to read the log.

SQLServerCentral Editorial

No reason to abandon SQL

The early signs are that we can now run a SQL-based relational database with distributed execution plans over commodity hardware, leaving just the task of splicing together of the result to the engine itself, then why can’t Microsoft or Oracle do it?

Technical Article

Do We Still Need Database Design in the Era of Big Data?

Many big data application implementations seem to begin with an existing data warehouse, one or more new high-volume data streams, and some specialized hardware and software. The data storage issue is often accommodated by installing a proprietary hardware appliance that can store huge amounts of data while providing extremely fast data access. In these cases, do we really need to worry about database design?

Technical Article

SQL Saturday #294 - Philadelphia

SQL Saturday is coming to Philadelphia on June 7, 2014. This event is a free day of training and networking for SQL Server Professionals, organized by the Philadelphia SQL Server User Group. The event also features two paid-for Precons, one presented by Allan Hirt and the other presented jointly by Joseph D'Antoni and Stacia Misner. Register while space is available.

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Question of the Day

ORDER BY alias

There is a table tmp_tab: 

CREATE TABLE tmp_tab (
id int,
val int
);
INSERT INTO tmp_tab VALUES
(1, 1),
(2, NULL),
(3, 3),
(4, 4),
(5, 5);
You want to order the rows ids by the following expression: 
    ISNULL(val, id) + 1
Which of the following queries produces the expected ordering and why? (Select all correct)

See possible answers