Look, Ma, No Surprises
Last week I demonstrated at least 30% performance improvement by switching to memory optimised table-valued parameters on SQL Server 2016. This week I will demonstrate the same test using Azure SQL Database, on the Premium…
How to make your T-SQL thirty percent faster
Last week, I mentioned a feature in SQL Server, and now in Azure SQL Database, called Memory-Optimized Table-Valued Parameters, which makes use of In-Memory OLTP structures to work around a dependency on tempdb, and thereby…
Memory-Optimized Table-Valued Parameters
November brings me back to my regular weekly posting schedule. I attended PASS Summit 2016 last week, and saw a lot of great sessions. Aside from the new stuff, what I also noticed is how…
Interview Questions for a SQL Server DBA
When I’m interviewing a SQL Server DBA, I have three questions that I always ask. My favourite interview question is this: “What is the difference between a clustered and a non-clustered index?” My second favourite…
Should I upgrade SQL Server 2012, or migrate to Azure?
[Last updated February 27, 2020] Brent Ozar Unlimited runs a website called SQL Server Updates which comes in really handy for keeping your on-premises SQL Server up to date. Of interest is that extended support…
What to do at PASS Summit 2016
Next week, while blog posts are scheduled as expected, I will be attending my third PASS Summit. Summit 2014 In my first year, I attended every single event I could. The Monday night started with Steve Jones’ regular…
Temporal Tables in Azure SQL Database
In the latest Microsoft Azure newsletter I received last week was this most excellent news: Azure SQL Database Temporal Tables generally available Temporal Tables let customers track the full history of data changes in Azure…
Azure Storage Throughput
Hot on the heels of DTUs from earlier this week, today we’re going to switch focus a little, while staying with Azure, and have a quick look at storage speeds on SQL Server running on Azure…
Database Throughput Units
Last time we briefly touched on the metric that Microsoft uses to keep your Azure SQL Database in check: the DTU, or database throughput unit. It uses a combination of CPU, I/O and log flushes/second, using…
Azure SQL Database Limits
Let’s talk briefly about resource limits with Azure SQL Database. Because we have to share resources with other users, and because Microsoft doesn’t want us affecting others dramatically, they have implemented some limits. If for…
Planning matters
It’s the 2016 PASS Summit at the end of this month, and I’ll be attending for my third year. Because I’m a glutton for punishment, I’ll also be writing bonus posts for the month of…
On clustered indexes, clustering keys and primary keys
Many smart people have spoken about clustering keys and primary keys before, so here’s a less smart take on the topic. Let’s define some things first: Clustered Index – the column (or columns) by which…
Automation is the new Black
I’ve been toying with the idea of automating a set of diagnostic scripts that I run on customer sites, when doing my checkup. It mirrors the automation that a lot of consulting shops do, but…
A dalliance with distance
During a recent engagement, I was tasked with making a query faster. Since I signed an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement), I can’t go into detail, but it made extensive use of the STDistance() function of the…
The Data Migration Assistant
I’ve written quite a lot about Azure SQL Database recently, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about the on-premises version of SQL Server. What could be better than Microsoft announcing a new tool for upgrading…