Enhancing SQL Server Searches with Elasticsearch and Python
Learn how to get started with Elasticsearch with data in your SQL Server database.
2024-10-14
2,446 reads
Performance tuning
Batch Execution Mode on a Rowstore in SQL Server 2022
Batch execution mode is a new optimization feature in SQL Server. In this Article, we'll explore how Batch execution mode works and how you can use it to get faster query results on Rowstore data.
2023-10-30
4,488 reads
Performance Tuning with SQLFacts Tools
The need for performance tuning your SQL Server workloads has never been more critical. As workloads are moved into cloud services, their efficiency has a direct impact on the recurring bills. A workload that consumes more resources than necessary costs more to host in the cloud and affects the bottom line for your organization.
2023-04-07
10,977 reads
Performance Tuning Using Free Tools, Part 2
You can do essential performance tuning on your SQL Server databases using a FREE toolkit!
2022-01-14
5,540 reads
Performance Tuning Using Free Tools
You can do essential performance tuning on your SQL Server databases using a FREE toolkit!
2021-12-17
6,690 reads
SQLFacts - A Free Toolkit for SQL Server Database Engineers
SQLFacts is a FREE suite of 26 (and counting) tools for SQL Server database development, database administration, and performance tuning. The toolkit is all T-SQL code and it includes the functionality of hundreds of short scripts.
2021-11-19
9,994 reads
SQL Server SET STATISTICS IO ON Deep Dive
In this article we look at how to interpret and use the results of STATISTICS IO when tuning SQL Server queries.
2021-02-17
A simple use case for Columnstore Indexes in SQL Server
In this article we look at different use cases for columnstore indexes like when performing SQL Server count * queries.
2020-01-17
Optimize Your SQL by Reformulating the Spec
As SQL developers, we tend to think of performance tuning in terms of crafting the best table indices, avoiding scalar and table valued functions, and analyzing query plans (among other things). But sometimes going back to the spec and applying some properties of elementary math can be the best way to begin to improve performance of SQL queries which implement mathematical formulas. This article is a case study of how I used this technique to optimize my SQL implementation of the Inverse Simpson Index.
2021-05-07 (first published: 2019-09-12)
5,391 reads
The Basics - Level 1 of the Stairway to Query Store
Introduction Instead of going straight into the topic of the Query Store, I would like to start this Stairway Series by mentioning a few performance tuning scenarios that are very common to production DBAs. I think most of us have been in one of these situations at some time: An application experiencing slowness after a […]
2020-10-07 (first published: 2019-05-13)
6,894 reads
Blogs
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...
Monday Monitor Tips: SQL Auditing Preview
By Steve Jones
One of the features we advocates have been advocating for is a better way...
SQL Server 2025 CU1 Fixes the Docker Desktop AVX Issue on macOS
Microsoft fixed the AVX instruction issue in SQL Server 2025 CU1. The container now...
Forums
25 Years of SQL Server Central
Comments posted to this topic are about the item 25 Years of SQL Server...
The Decoded Value
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Decoded Value
Deploying SQL Server Developer Edition in Kubernetes: A Cost-Effective Alternative to RDS
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Deploying SQL Server Developer Edition...
Question of the Day
The Decoded Value
In SQL Server 2025, what is returned from this code:
DECLARE @message VARCHAR(50) = 'Hello SQL Server 2025!'; DECLARE @encoded VARCHAR(MAX); SET @encoded = BASE64_ENCODE(CAST(@message AS VARBINARY(1000))); SELECT BASE64_DECODE(@encoded)See possible answers