There are countless sources for information on SQL Server available today. There are books, webcasts, conferences, and blogs. With all of these sources, it is easy to forget that there are white papers available from Microsoft. It is important that we make an effort to read the white papers that are available. The trouble is, … Continue reading 5 SQL Server White Papers Every DBA Should Read
Each release of SQL Server is chalk full of new features and an assorted amount of bells and whistles. Some of these, like Availability Groups and ColumnStore, are great additions and their introduction includes much fanfare. Among all of those new features, is the occasional little bell which offers us a chance to change how we investigate SQL … Continue reading A Replacement for DBCC IND in SQL Server 2012
In a previous post, I discussed running SQLIO against multiple files. The purpose in using multiple files is being able to test not just a single volume's capability to deliver data from storage, but to test the storage as a whole. Doing so is important since, what ever application, in my case SQL Server, is running … Continue reading Staggering SQLIO Sessions Across Multiple Volumes
After working on this monthly checklist for over a year, I've recently discovered that there isn't anything that we should be doing with our SQL Server databases. Apparently, the platform is completely and absolutely self-maintaining and provides built-in disaster recovery without any effort on your part. Along with all of these features, you won't be … Continue reading April 2013 – Monthly SQL Server Checklist
It's the first Monday of the month, do you know where your servers are? Hopefully, they are still in your data center. If not, I'm not sure this post will help you out, so you better just call the police. But if they are in your data center, then do you know how they are … Continue reading March 2013 – Monthly SQL Server Checklist
Wouldn't it be nice if you had a chance to try out the features of SQL Server? Maybe give them a run-through before your managers asks you to make recommendations on whether to upgrade and what the value in doing so will be. For those of us that don't have the time to build out … Continue reading Five Virtual Labs for the SQL Server 2012 DBA
Not exactly groundbreaking information, but were you aware that you can run SQLIO with multiple files? Until a couple months ago, I hadn't really paid attention to that little fact. And maybe I'm the only person that didn't know, but figured I would share it anyways. How Multiple Files? Using SQLIO with multiple files is … Continue reading Running SQLIO with Multiple Files
February is a short month... and if you are following the Monday's you know that today's the second Monday of the not the first. The first Monday is when this update is usually due out. Unfortunately, I was fairly sick last week and didn't get to working on this blog post. I should have had a … Continue reading February 2013 – Monthly SQL Server Checklist
While working on some scripts against SQL Server's default trace, I wanted to develop a sure fire way to find the location of the default trace regardless of the version of SQL Server and without having to tinker with file names. Since there are a few people that read this blog, I figured I'd share the … Continue reading Determining Default Trace Location
Today is the first Monday of 2013. Do you know if your servers are ready to take on the first month of the new year? Have you figured out if you have the hardware and capacity to make it through the next year? You should know this and, as a DBA, you should have a … Continue reading January 2013 – Monthly SQL Server Checklist
Strate SQL 