By Andrew Kelly, 10/18/2011
When done correctly, dynamic SQL can be used effectively. Make sure you know how to get the most out of it.
By Andrew J. Kelly, 05/20/2011
Stopping transaction logging completely isn’t possible, but you can drastically reduce what’s written to the transaction log with minimal logging. Here’s what you need to know, ...
By Andrew J. Kelly, 03/16/2011
Making sure that SQL Server’s procedure cache is as efficient as possible can save a considerable amount of time and resources.
By Andrew J. Kelly, 12/08/2010
It’s time for a system tune-up, and we have just the tools you need: A set of practical tips to help you optimize your SQL Server environment for peak performance.
By Andrew J. Kelly, 10/25/2010
Weeding out the performance-killing statements in your SQL Server instance is certainly not beyond your capabilities and can take much less time and energy to solve than you ...
By Andrew J. Kelly, 08/24/2010
If you're trying to root out the causes of SQL Server performance problems, do you even know where to start? Wait statistics, file statistics, top 10 inefficient queries, and plan ...
By Andrew J. Kelly, 06/23/2010
See if these tips can make a difference in your overall performance of SQL Server activity.
By Andrew J. Kelly, 04/26/2010
Get a handle on the fundamentals of acceptable physical I/O for SQL Server and learn how to determine whether it's affecting your system's performance.
By Andrew J. Kelly, 02/23/2010
Most people know that proper plan reuse is essential to good performance but there is another aspect that everyone should explore to ensure peak performance.
By Andrew J. Kelly, 09/28/2009
When is the right time to defrag? Ultimately, the answer is up to you, but keep these considerations in mind.
By Andrew J. Kelly, 06/13/2009
In two previous articles, I've discussed SQL Server 2005 waits and showed you some of the more common ones. Now, let's dive down for a deeper view of what each connection or even ...
By Andrew J. Kelly, 04/16/2009
Most SQL Server DBAs wonder how many data files or filegroups they should have when they create a new user database. But they should be focusing on how to better utilize ...
By Andrew J. Kelly, 02/11/2009
Are you using SQL Server's CLR functionality to parse trace files? Microsoft recently updated its RML Utilities, and you might find them easier to use—and a great benefit to your ...
By Andrew J. Kelly, 10/30/2008
Need to parse server-side trace information so that you can aggregate the data to find your worst-performing and most-called queries? The user-defined SQL_Signature function ...
By Andrew J. Kelly, 09/29/2008
In creating a server-side trace, your goal is to capture the events you're interested in and store them in on a locally attached disk on the server. Use these T-SQL commands to ...
By Andrew J. Kelly, 07/30/2008
Did you know that using SQL Server Profiler can have an impact on the performance of your production servers? Check out these test results comparing SQL Server Profiler with a ...
By Andrew J. Kelly, 06/27/2008
Avoid re-indexing pandemonium by using the rebuild_indexes_by_db stored procedure to tackle only indexes that actually need help.
By Andrew J. Kelly, 04/29/2008
Heed this advice about how to identify duplicate or redundant indexes on the tables in your databases.
By Andrew J. Kelly, 03/28/2008
You know how to collect and report on wait stats. Now, let’s focus on a few wait stats that typically account for most overall system waits.
By Andrew J. Kelly, 02/28/2008
SQL Server 2005 offers a relatively easy way to determine which SQL Server statements are causing you the most pain. A built-in DMV does the trick.