Since the advent of SQL Server 7.0, the best way of raising T-SQL related errors back to calling applications has been through the usage of the RAISERROR statement. Figure 1 demonstrates a combination of mandatory parameters (i.e. msg_id/msg_str, severity, state) as well as optional parameters (i.e. WITH option) that ought to be provided for the […]
Introduction In a previous article we discussed the how to set up a basic cursor. We explained that a cursor is a row-based operation that takes a given SELECT statement and breaks downs the processing of the data into looping executions. People that do not have the background in Database Administration or who did not […]
Introduction Most people that work with Microsoft SQL Server will have at least heard talk of cursors and often, even if people know on a basic level what SQL Server cursors do, they are not always certain when to use them and how to write the code behind them. So this article takes a step […]
Introduction Those of you that have worked extensively with dates in SQL Server (or any other relational database management system (RDBMS)) will know how finicky and complicated it can be to use DATE functions, DATEPART, DATENAME, DATEADD, GETDATE(), CURRENT_TIMESTAMP etc. Personally, I find it very useful to have a calendar table that stocks all of […]
Introduction As in often the case in life, things that sound simple are not always the easiest things to do. In computer science this is even more often the case. In fact, one of the most challenging things about information technology work is often the communication with bosses that know little about technology and require […]
A SQL Server backup is one of the most important features DBAs should fully understand and use. It’s not uncommon that the process of backing up SQL Server data is considered as simple and therefore easily overlooked as essential when it comes to disaster or other recovery scenarios. Realizing that a backup is not valid […]
Poor query design is one of the top SQL Server performance killers. Even with good database design, no frequent recompilations, and no other SQL performance killers, poor query design can severely degrade performance.
Introduction In our previous article on the introduction to SQL Server business intelligence we covered the general structure of an enterprise business intelligence solution. The tools needed to build these solutions were briefly mentioned. The purpose of this article is to provide you with a deeper understanding into the creation of an ETL (Extract, Transform […]
As shown in the previous part of this series, inaccurate statistics can degrade SQL Server performance. We described how to work with SQL Server statistics using SQL Server Management Studio options and T-SQL. In this article, we will show how to update SQL Server statistics, what are the updating costs, and when updating is recommended.
Introduction to Sequences Sequence is a new object that was introduced in SQL Server 2012 for a key-generating mechanism. It has been made available across all editions of SQL Server 2012. It was added as an alternative to IDENTITY columns feature that has been prevalent in the previous versions of SQL Server. Despite being newly […]
What a load of Bl… You may be wondering what Business Intelligence is. If you’re reading this article you probably have prior experience with Microsoft SQL Server or at least one other relational database management system (RDBMS). If this is the case you’re probably used to managing a lot of valuable data. If you’re a […]
In the previous article, we explained what clustered and nonclustered indexes were, and showed how to create them. In this article, we will explain what poor indexing is and give general recommendations for table indexing and selecting the right columns to create indexes on.
In the previous part of this article, we presented query recompilation basics. We explained when a query is compiled, when recompiled, and what preferred behavior is. We also showed the how to trigger a recompilation using T-SQL and provided examples. In this part, we will focus on detecting frequent query recompilations and frequently recompiled queries.
When it comes to SQL Server performance tuning, there are many factors that should be checked. One of the top performance killers is a frequent query recompilation. It adds pressure to the processor and degrades performance.
A typical N-tier application design contains of the several layers from the client (Web or Windows), to the Business Logic Layer, to the Data Access Layer, and finally to the Data Storage Layer.
What is a database table partitioning? Partitioning is the database process where very large tables are divided into multiple smaller parts. By splitting a large table into smaller, individual tables, queries that access only a fraction of the data can run faster because there is less data to scan. The main of goal of […]
In the SQL Server Management Studio, errors can be tracked down easily, using the built in Error List pane. This pane can be activated in the View menu, or by using shortcuts Ctrl+\ and Ctrl+E
SQL Server performance is affected by many factors. The most common SQL Server performance killers are poor database design, poor indexing, poor query design, not reusable execution plans, frequent query recompilation, excessive fragmentation, and more. With these factors present on your machine, even adding additional hardware resources might not help, as these SQL Server performance […]
SQL Server query execution plans are very useful in query performance analysis and troubleshooting. There are two types of query execution plans in SQL Server: actual and estimated. They show how a query was executed and how it will be executed
In the previous parts of this series, we explained what SQL Server query execution plans were, why they should be used, and presented various methods to show them. In this part, we will explain the symbols used, how to read the plans, and how to use these plans in performance analysis and troubleshooting
Inserting the data in the database table can be hard and can take a long time. Especially today when the databases becoming bigger and bigger. Automated data importing is possible using different methods, depending on source file type and data organization inside
Any database management system requires constant or at least periodical maintenance of hosted databases. This is the case with SQL Server as well, and in order to make database administration tasks easier for DBAs, SQL Server provides the built-in Maintenance Plans feature
What is SQL Server Data Collector SQL Server Data Collector is a feature for performance monitoring and tuning available in SQL Server Management Studio. It was introduced in SQL Server 2008 and is available in the Enterprise, Standard, Business Intelligence, and Web editions
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