SQLPerformance is a long-running technical publication focused on SQL Server performance, database monitoring, troubleshooting, and database management. It serves database professionals who need practical, experience-driven guidance on diagnosing issues, understanding execution behavior, and improving performance in real-world environments. Now, SQLPerformance has entered a new phase while staying true to what made it valuable in the first place.

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For years, the site has covered the issues database teams deal with every day. These include slow queries, waits, blocking, execution plans, and storage constraints. There’s also the challenge of pinning down whether the root cause sits in the application, the infrastructure, or the database layer. That practical orientation still matters. In fact, as database environments grow more complex, it matters more than ever.

“DBAs spend an average of 27 hours per week firefighting…”

The changing face of database management

The database landscape has changed significantly in recent years. Modern database administration is no longer confined to a single platform. It’s also no longer a narrowly defined role. Today, database teams are often expected to work across on-premises systems, cloud services, and hybrid estates. They also need to understand how application and infrastructure behavior affects database performance.

SolarWinds expanded its investment in the Microsoft data platform through the SentryOne acquisition. At the same time, the day-to-day reality of database management was changing. According to the 2025 State of Database Report, teams in unified monitoring environments are seeing stronger outcomes from AI adoption.  Specifically, 62% say AI helped them diagnose performance issues faster. 60% report more reliable execution of routine tasks. However, reactive work remains a significant burden. The report shows DBAs spend an average of 27 hours per week firefighting. That contributes to fatigue, slower response times, and a greater risk of human error. For DBAs it’s BAU. But just a lot busier.

That shift is reflected in recent SolarWinds thought leadership. For example, the Bridging the Observability Gap whitepaper argues that unified observability can improve operational resilience and speed feedback loops. Similarly, the Inside the Black Box: Bridging the Database Observability Gap blog post highlights how treating the database as a black box leaves teams exposed. When performance problems cross boundaries between the database, the application, and the infrastructure, that blind spot becomes costly. Furthermore, the Tuning In to AI whitepaper and the THWACK discussion on the role of the DBA in AI add important context. Both show how AI adoption is placing new demands on database teams to keep data infrastructure performant and well-managed.

Against that backdrop, technically grounded guidance remains highly relevant.

“Looking ahead, new content will reflect a broad range of operational topics including SQL Server performance tuning, monitoring, troubleshooting, observability, and query behavior…”

Continuity with room to grow

SQLPerformance didn’t shut down, it just went quiet. From around 2022, as the transition from SentryOne to SolarWinds was taking shape, publishing gradually slowed and eventually paused. The site itself stayed online and a key theme in the soft return of the site is continuity. The ‘old’ SQLPerformance archive is still in place, preserving years of SQL Server performance content. We see this archive as invaluable – not only as a technical reference, but also as a record of how SQL Server performance practices have evolved over time.

Often, the assumption is that database work has become easier because so much infrastructure is now abstracted or automated. In practice, many database teams say it has become much more complex, with more moving parts and higher business expectations. As these demands grew, SQL Server performance monitoring has had to grow with them.

For example, while in the past, resolving performance bottlenecks required running manual scripts and trying to stitch together disparate logs. Today, database performance tools have evolved to eliminate that uncertainty. Solutions like SQL Sentry have transitioned from traditional, client-installed monitoring into modern, hybrid systems. By incorporating features like a modernized web portal, platform-driven alerting, and AI Query Assist, SQL Sentry helps database professionals pinpoint root causes in seconds without the guesswork. This evolution ensures that while the archive preserves our collective knowledge, tools like SQL Sentry provide the real-time, high-performance capabilities required to keep today’s complex estates stable and efficient.

Looking ahead, new content on SQL Performance will reflect a broad range of operational topics including SQL Server performance tuning, monitoring, troubleshooting, observability, and query behavior. It also covers areas like execution plans, memory pressure, TempDB, architecture decisions, alerting, and hybrid infrastructure patterns. The focus remains on practical, experience-based guidance rather than trend-driven commentary.

“SQLPerformance and the SolarWinds Blog play different roles within the same wider ecosystem…”

Connecting SQLPerformance to the wider database community

SQLPerformance now connects more clearly to the broader SolarWinds database ecosystem. That includes the SolarWinds Blog, product updates, webcasts, and the THWACK community. Together, these channels give practitioners more ways to move between technical articles, product context, community discussions, and related educational resources.

SQLPerformance and the SolarWinds Blog play different roles within the same wider ecosystem. SQLPerformance is the more specialist destination for deeply technical, practitioner-led SQL Server and database management content. The SolarWinds Blog, by contrast, covers a broader mix of product updates, thought leadership, events, and cross-portfolio topics. Some crossover is natural, but each platform still has a clear purpose.

There is also a renewed emphasis on contributors with strong hands-on expertise. SQLPerformance built its reputation on practitioner-led content from people with real production experience. The relaunch reinforces that usefulness and technical depth remain the editorial standard.

Looking ahead

The return of SQLPerformance is less about reinvention and more about reaffirming a familiar strength. That strength is useful technical content for database professionals working under real operational pressure. Hybrid systems, wider observability needs, and growing interest in AI-assisted operations are all reshaping how database teams work. In that environment, practical guidance remains as valuable as ever.

As SQLPerformance moves forward, archive continuity, a broader editorial scope, and closer ties to the SolarWinds database ecosystem give the site a clear role. For database professionals navigating more complex environments, that means a reliable place to find content grounded in how systems actually behave under pressure, not how they behave in theory.

SQLPerformance FAQ

What is the focus of the site?

This platform is a technical publication offering practitioner-led, experience-driven guidance on SQL Server performance and database management.

Why are we relaunching the publishing stream?

One of the reasons is that modern database environments are growing increasingly complex. Often, the assumption is that cloud automation solves database issues; however, hybrid environments introduce new operational challenges

What topics will the site cover?

We write for Database Administrators (DBAs), database engineers, and Information Technology (IT) professionals handling complex systems under pressure. While focusing primarily on SQL Server, we plan to address modern database observability and cross-platform monitoring best practices. We will be doing deep-dives on database topics like query optimization, execution plans, wait statistics, and memory tuning.

Why does database performance still matter?

Slow databases degrade applications. Our 2025 State of Database report highlights that DBAs still spend 27 hours per week firefighting reactive performance issues. According to our 2025 State of Database report, Database Administrators (DBAs) still spend an average of 27 hours per week on reactive firefighting. That reactive burden eats into planning time, fuels alert fatigue, and increases operational risk. Database performance still matters because it directly impacts application responsiveness, business success, and cloud hosting costs. Resolving bottlenecks with total clarity, using specialized tools like SQL Sentry database performance monitoring software, helps teams identify root causes instantly and keep critical systems stable without guesswork.

What is the connection to SolarWinds?

The site is part of the SolarWinds database ecosystem, complementing tools like SQL Sentry database performance monitoring software and Database Performance Analyzer (DPA) database performance monitoring software.

How does this platform differ from the SolarWinds Blog?

Both platforms support database professionals but serve different operational roles:

  • The publication will provide deep, practitioner-oriented technical content on SQL Server tuning and database engineering
  • The SolarWinds Blog covers cross-portfolio updates and company announcements

Who creates the content?

Hands-on database professionals, Microsoft MVPs, and industry experts will author our articles.

Where can I find additional resources?

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database
database administrator
database maintenance
database management
database management blogs