When it comes to disk configuration options for virtualized servers running on VMware, you have two options: VMFS virtual file-based disk (VMDK) or a raw device mapping (RDM). Which one…
VMDK versus RDM: Which One Do I Need for SQL Server?
Hardware or Code? SQL Server Performance Examined
CPUs are running faster now than ever before, solid-state drives are replacing spinning disks, and database servers have terabytes of RAM. Because these resources are plentiful and increasingly affordable, it can seem tempting to solve database performance issues with hardware. But consider this example: if CPU utilization shoots up to 90% on one of your servers and stays at that level for a day or two, is the problem lack of CPU power or something else?
How to Recover the Master Database in SQL Server 2012
In my seven years as a production DBA, I can count on one hand the number of times I have need to restore the master database as a result of…
Connect to Windows Azure Virtual Machine Using SSMS
In 2013, Microsoft made it available for customers to utilize virtual machines running in Windows Azure. This allowed customers to run an on-premises version of SQL Server, but have the…
Changing Default Database File Locations in SQL Server
When you create a database in SQL Server and do not specify a file location for your data and log files, SQL Server will rely on the default locations as…
5 Things You Didn’t Know About SQL Agent
Microsoft SQL Server comes with a boatload of additional components. One component is the SQL Agent. The purpose of the SQL Agent is to serve as a job scheduler. Many…
What Happens if I Shrink a Database in Windows Azure?
At some point in your career as a data professional, you are going to fill up an entire drive with data. It is not a question of “if,” but a…
Improve SQL Server Performance by Looking at Plan Cache (Part 3)
You can use the information in the SQL Server plan cache to research performance issues and investigate opportunities for performance improvement. In this three-part article series, we’ve examined several important…
Improve SQL Server Performance by Looking at Plan Cache (Part 2)
The SQL Server plan cache can be a good tool to use in identifying current performance issues and in looking for new ways to improve performance.
Improve SQL Server Performance by Looking at Plan Cache (Part 1)
The SQL Server plan cache stores details on statements that are executed over time. Each time a statement executes, SQL Server will look inside the plan cache first to see if a plan already exists. If a plan exists, SQL Server will use that plan instead of spending time compiling a new plan. This ensures the engine operates efficiently.