Databases have two primary storage needs; data pages and index pages. Understanding and viewing the actual data in your tables is pretty straightforward by running some sample queries to get an idea of what columns are being used as well as what type of
At a recent Northern Virginia SQL Server user group meeting, a debate was held about the Microsoft Certified Database Administrator Microsoft Certified Information Technology Professional : Database Administrator being a 'must-have' for all SQL Server DBA
In this tip we look at scripts to find all SQL Server primary keys in a database as well as tables that are missing a primary key.
In this article we look at examples of why using functions in the WHERE clause could cause SQL Server performance issues.
In this article we look at how to create differential backups for SQL Server databases and also how to restore a database using differential backups.
In your recent tips on SQL Server dead locks (How To: Graphical Deadlock Chain and Deadlock Priority Configuration) I can see the value of using Profiler to capture the process related information. Do any other options exist in Profiler to capture the in
In this article we look at a simple example of how to avoid blocking issues using the SQL Server NOLOCK hint.
In this article, we look at how to do a point in time restore using TSQL and SSMS to recover a database to a particular point in time.
I have a set of SQL Server Jobs (transaction log backups, notification of business rules, etc.) that run every 5 minutes just about 24 hours a day. I seem to lose my SQL Server Job History in a few days and need this type of data to troubleshoot specific
My company has recently upgraded to SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 4 and we have experienced significant performance issues. Overall our performance baseline has dropped significantly (more than 50%) immediately after the service pack installation. We nee
This tip shows how you can use EXECUTE AS in SQL Server to allow users to run code without having to elevate their privileges on all impacted objects.
One of the biggest things that DBAs try to do on a daily basis is to ensure that their database systems run as fast as possible. As more and more users access the databases and the databases continue to grow, performance slow downs are almost inevitable.
In this article we look at how to tell what parts of a database transaction log are being used.
With as many Data Transformation Services (DTS) Packages that have been developed and deployed for B2B, data integration and BI needs, when it comes to upgrading from SQL Server 2000 to 2005, this portion of the upgrade will need special attention. DTS P
I have heard some buzz about Service Broker and I have seen the recent tips (Service Broker Infrastructure Objects and Service Broker Troubleshooting) that have piqued my interest. Unfortunately, I am still a little foggy on this technology. In SQL Server
I have read your tip on SQL Server locking, blocking and deadlocking (Finding and troubleshooting SQL Server deadlocks) which are applicable to some of issues I have been recently facing. I have been noticed locking on my SQL Server and have heard about
I have started a new application where I need to start aggregating some of the data and perform some basic mathematical functions. I know I can perform some of the calculations in the front end application, but I am not sure this is the best approach in
Making the decision to upgrade to SQL Server 2005 should be one that is made with sufficient information, not haphazardly. Understanding the changes needed to your SQL Server 2000 environment prior to upgrading should be one of the first sets of informat
One nice feature of SQL Server is the ability to create maintenance plans for all different types of maintenance activities such as backups, index rebuilds, integrity checks etc... One part of the backup process is the ability to create transaction log b
Sometimes there may be the need to save multiple values into one column instead of creating multiple columns to store these indicators. Let's take for example we need to know who has different telephone types and instead of having multiple indicator colu
One useful system stored procedure is sp_helpdb. This stored procedure returns information about all of your databases on your server such as the size, owner, when it was created and the database settings. One issue that you may run into is that the stor
Learn how to execute the same batch of SQL Server commands X number of times using the GO command.
I do a horrible job of commenting my T-SQL code in SQL Server. I could use a few pointers because I have gone back to change my code and it has taken me forever. How should I go about commenting my T-SQL code so it is simple and helpful? Does any of th
Not knowing which applications or people on your team that are using the sa login should be a major cause for concern in security conscious organizations. If the password for this standard SQL Server login is known by more than 1 team member, tracking ch