Here is an interesting article from my colleague Joe Kim, in which he explores database performance management. Databases are complex, multifaceted, and vital to the health of every agency. They…
Five Must-dos of Database Performance Management
Be Responsive and Responsible
Over the years, I’ve read more than a few articles about the qualities that are found in the best administrators. These articles focus on soft skills, but sometimes will list…
The Future Isn’t in Databases, But in the Data
In the past year I have earned a couple of certificates from the Microsoft Professional Program. One certificate was in Data Science, the other in Big Data. I’m currently working…
The Future is Always Bright
In my last couple of posts, I’ve tried to paint a picture of the past and present of database management and monitoring. We’ve seen that good database performance has everything…
VMDK versus RDM: Which One Do I Need for SQL Server?
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…
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…