Celebrate THEIR Accomplishments

I can't hide this in any way. I love it when I accomplish something. It's such a great feeling. Even more than that, I really do love getting some acknowledgement for it. Almost as good, is when I see others, especially friends and acquaintances, doing well. So many people I know, regularly just knock it […]

Gentlest of Reminders, Don't Stop Learning

I was on the road for just over two weeks. I was able to travel around to a few places and present some sessions. But, better than that, thanks to SQL Konferenz, I was able to go to a couple of sessions and learn some stuff. I'm lucky/cursed in my position at Redgate. We have […]

State of the Database Landscape Survey 2023

As data professionals, of any stripe, we should, as much as we can, where we can, base our decisions on data. After all, in theory anyway, we’re the experts...

T-SQL Tuesday #166: Wrap-up

Once more, my apologies for being late on getting the T-SQL Tuesday announcement out. I have no excuse. However, our extended event on Extended Events (yes, I’m the third...

T-SQL Tuesday #166: Why Not Extended Events?

With 165 T-SQL Tuesday events, two, just two, this one, T-SQL Tuesday #166, and another one back in 2018 or 2019 (I forget and I’m far too lazy to...

T-SQL Tuesday #166: Extended Events

When I was put on the list to host September’s T-SQL Tuesday, well, I forgot to put it in my calendar. So I’m late (and in the doghouse with...

Be Prepared

I've been reading about the fires in Maui and the horrible loss of life there. My heart goes out to all involved. I hope, if you can, you donate to a good charity to help those poor people. It also inspired me to do another check on our emergency supplies and equipment. No, we don't […]

SQL Server Execution Plans, Third Edition, by Grant Fritchey

Every Database Administrator, developer, report writer, and anyone else who writes T-SQL to access SQL Server data, must understand how to read and interpret execution plans. This book leads you right from the basics of capturing plans, through how to interrupt them in their various forms, graphical or XML, and then how to use the information you find there to diagnose the most common causes of poor query performance.

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Looking Back and Forward

I took part in a podcast this week, Arrested DevOps. I did one with them once before, almost ten years ago. The host and I were both a little surprised that it had been so long. This caused us to look back a bit. Interestingly enough, ten years ago meant I was only about two […]

Battle of the Query Hints in Query Store

I recently presented a session on the Query Store at Data Saturday Rhineland and the question came up: If there’s already a query hint on a query, what happens...