Most database folks might know the tempdb database in SQL Server is used for temporary tables, but many folks don’t realize all the other things that use this critical system database. It’s also used by table variables, cursors, aggregations, joins, and sorts. And by memory spills when you don’t have enough memory. And by integrity … Read more
I wrote this to share a series of scripts that help identify if workloads are appropriately separated on the SQL Server host. The main reason we look for this is to avoid I/O contention and waits, which is a challenge that can significantly impact performance. If you are unsure if your server is experiencing I/O … Read more
If there were a Mount Rushmore of SQL Server community tools, Adam Machanic would have to be one of the four faces. You may not know his name, but you more than likely know the free troubleshooting tool he created over a decade ago: sp_WhoIsActive. Fix your performance problems, fix your blocking, fix a bunch. … Read more
SQL Server migrations are a necessary and expected part of keeping a modern SQL Server deployment. We have worked with many clients on migration projects, and I have organized some considerations for you and your team before, during, and after your SQL Server migration. We recommend working with a SQL server DBA on these kinds … Read more
Being part of a consulting team has given me experience with many environments, and part of the work I do every week is to check for the various best practices and monitor server health across over 20 environments. This post condenses the tools that can help and the configurations that are most likely to cause … Read more