Dear SQL DBA

Latest Episodes:

The Death of SQL Server Service Packs Oct 05, 2017

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SQL Server Service Packs are going away, starting with SQL Server 2017. I talk about why I think this is a good thing, and discuss Cumulative Updates, Service Packs, and the process of updating SQL Server.

Love and Hate for SSMS Sep 28, 2017

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People have strong feelings about SQL Server Management Studio: they love it AND they hate it. In this week's episode, I talk about why people have such conflicting feelings about SSMS, and how to work it all out.

How Do I Analyze a SQL Server Execution Plan? Sep 22, 2017

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A query is slow, and you figure out how to collect the query execution plan. Now what? In this episode I talk "big picture" about what execution plans are, what "cost" is, why to collect "compiled for" values, and the steps I take to analyze execution plans while performance tuning queries.

Do I Need to Master PowerShell? Sep 12, 2017

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As a SQL Server DBA, do you need to be a killer with scripts? In this episode I talk about how much you need to know about PowerShell, and examples of ways I personally use (and struggle with) PowerShell.

SQL PASS Summit 2017: Why I'm Excited, and Tips on Attending Sep 07, 2017

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I'll be attending and presenting at the SQL PASS Summit in Seattle Washington this year from Oct 31-Nov 3. In this week's episode, I share why I'm excited about going, and why I've purchased a seat for a pre-conference session. (Spoiler: pre-cons are awesome!) I also give my tips on how to get the MOST value out of a big conference like the PASS Summit.

How Do You Stay Motivated? Aug 31, 2017

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Over the years, readers have asked me: "How do you stay motivated?" Sticking with a learning plan, blogging, or becoming a public speaker isn't easy. In this episode I share how I think about motivation and what keeps me going.

"I faked my resume... now what?" Aug 24, 2017

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This week's question from a reader: how do I deal with interview questions asking about real-world scenarios when I've faked three years of experience on my resume?

Interview Advice from the SQL Server Community Aug 17, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, I talk about three articles written by members of the SQL Server community on interviewing that I can't stop thinking about:

"Playing the Third Party Recruiter Game", by Adam Machanic - http://sqlblog.com/blogs/adam_machanic/archive/2017/08/08/playing-the-third-party-recruiter-game-t-sql-tuesday-093.aspx

"I Hate Interviews", by Rob Sewell - https://sqldbawithabeard.com/2017/08/08/i-hate-interviews-tsql2sday/

"Learning to say 'No'" by Mark Broadbent - https://tenbulls.co.uk/2017/08/08/learning-to-say-no/

Interview Patterns and Anti-Patterns Aug 08, 2017

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Hear the story of an interview where my dreams were crushed - and what I learned about interviewing from the experience.

Which Queries are Causing my Wait Stats? May 25, 2017

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You've got some troubling wait stats in SQL Server. How can you tell which queries are causing those waits? Kendra discusses the pros and cons of different techniques to track down the cause of both common and tricky waits in SQL Server, including CXPACKET, PAGEIOLATCH, LCK, RESOURCE_SEMAPHORE, and THREADPOOL waits.

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