Mike Walsh

Mike loves mentoring clients on the right Systems or High Availability architectures because he enjoys those lightbulb moments and loves watching the right design and setup come together for a client. He started Straight Path in 2010 when he decided that after over a decade working with SQL Server in various roles, it was time to try and take his experience, passion, and knowledge to help clients of all shapes and sizes. Mike is a husband, father to four great children, and a Christian. He’s a volunteer Firefighter and EMT in his small town in New Hampshire, and when he isn’t playing with his family, solving SQL Server issues, or talking shop, it seems like he has plenty to do with his family running a small farm in NH raising Beef Cattle, Chickens, Pigs, Sheep, Goats, Honeybees and who knows what other animals have been added!

SQL Sentry Plan Explorer [Free DBA Tool of The Week]

February 7, 2020August 5, 2016 by Mike Walsh

In this continuing series, I’m blogging about Free tools for SQL Server DBAs. You can check the whole series out, here. This week we’re talking about and old standard – SQL Sentry Plan Explorer. SQL Sentry Plan Explorer I hope you look at SQL Server execution plans. If you do this in management studio using … Read more

A Shirt. A Conference. A Village

February 7, 2020August 1, 2016 by Mike Walsh

Fair warning. I’m in a sentimental mood. I’m tired. I’m caffeinated. I have my “nice headphones” on listening to my eclectic collection on shuffle but somehow it turned into “With or Without You” from U2 on repeat a few times. . . And I just went to change into bedtime clothes. I tried to put on the rattiest … Read more

SQL Server First Responder Kit [Free DBA Tool of the Week]

February 7, 2020July 20, 2016 by Mike Walsh

I can’t do a series on free SQL Server DBA tools without including the SQL Server First Responder Kit put out by Brent Ozar and his company (and the SQL Family who helped)! This is that post. A couple weeks ago, I was inspired to start this blog series because of an amazing PowerShell module … Read more

Create a SQL Server Baseline with the PAL Tool

February 7, 2020July 18, 2016 by Mike Walsh

Calibrate your budget and resources with a good SQL Server baseline

When we do a SQL Server Health Assessment, we quickly dive into SQL Server performance and Windows/Physical/Virtual resource usage counters. During our kick off interview we always ask if you have a SQL Server baseline from the past to compare. Usually the answer is no, unfortunately. Like monitoring and alerting, many of the tools vendors make automated baseline collection tools. Also like alerting, though, … Read more

Robert Davis’ Login Sync Script [Free DBA Tool of The Week]

February 7, 2020July 15, 2016 by Mike Walsh

Last week I bragged about an amazing PowerShell module I’ve recently fallen in love with. Today I’m going to talk about the script that, in a roundabout way, made me discover that tool. This is a great script from an extremely knowledgeable and helpful member of the SQL Server family, Robert Davis. Free SQL Server … Read more

A New Chapter – (Re)Launching Straight Path

November 27, 2023July 13, 2016 by Mike Walsh

It was February of 2012 when I made an announcement to the world. I had joined forces with some brothers who started a company with a vision, a dream and a disruptive business model. I told you all about this change in a blog post. I had actually joined Linchpin People a bit before this announcement … Read more

T-SQL Tuesday #80 Happy Birthday Chris, Have Some Changes

November 27, 2023July 12, 2016 by Mike Walsh

My good friend and brother Chris Yates is hosting this month’s T-SQL Tuesday. I’ve not participated in one of these for a little bit now. Been busy doing the consulting thing, I guess! I cannot believe this is the 80th month already! That’s about six years of T-SQL Tuesday Blog Carnivals. I still remember way back when when Adam … Read more