Query Tuning Near You

SQL Server, T-SQL
It really is so much easier to just throw hardware at badly performing databases. Just buy a bigger, faster server with more and faster disks and you can put off doing tuning work for another 6-9 months, easily. But, for most of us, sooner or later, our performance problems get so big or, we just don't have any more money to spend, and we're stuck. We have to tune the queries. And frankly, query tuning is a pain in the nether regions. But, after you've tuned queries 20 or 30 times, you start to recognize the patterns and it gets easier (never easy, just not as hard). But, if you haven't done it 20 or 30 times, what do you do? My suggestion, talk to someone who has done it…
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SQL Intersection, Spring 2014

Azure
I am terribly jazzed to be involved with this amazing event, SQL Intersection. It's featuring some truly amazing speakers presenting on important topics. It's being held here on the East Coast, right near the Mouse, the Duck and Dog. This is one of those conferences you need to get to. Check out the lineup. That is some of the smartest, most capable people I know. I'm quite humbled to be on the list with them, so I'll do my level best to deliver good content. Look at the sessions. While I don't know precisely when SQL Server 2014 is coming out, I'm sure it's real soon, so this will be a great place to get a leg-up on understanding what this new set of technology offers, or just learn more…
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SQL in the City, US Tour 2013, Recap

Professional Development, Redgate Software
Red Gate visited three cities this year with our SQL in the City event; Pasadena, Atlanta and Charlotte. I just wanted to give you a quick assessment of how the events went from my point of view. Overall, each and every one of these events was awesome. I can safely say that because each and every one of these events provided something special, the opportunity to network with our peers and with the developers and project managers at Red Gate (who are also our peers, but not usually available to us). I both took part in the networking and stood back and watched it happen. I love seeing a bunch of data pro's sitting (or standing) in a circle exchanging war stories, ideas, questions, thoughts or suggestions. It means you…
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New Windows Azure Virtual Labs

Azure
Getting started with new technologies can be a pain. That makes all the new labs that Microsoft just posted extremely useful. There are several that are going to be immediately applicable to your average data pro; Introduction to SQL Database, Connecting a PaaS Application to an IaaS Application with a Virtual Network, Web Sites and Virtual Machines using ASP.NET and SQL Server. The beauty of these things is that you don't need to do anything to get started. These are virtual machines hosted out on the cloud that you get access to. Further, you'll get a lesson plan to follow so you're not left floundering. You will have to either connect your MSDN account to set up an Azure account or, if you don't have MSDN, sign up for an Azure…
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Get Started with Windows Azure SQL Database

Azure
Learning new things can be daunting. First, you have to come up with the spare time. Then you have track down resources. For computers, computing and programming, this is both extremely easy and extremely difficult. That difficulty is especially true when it comes to gathering resources for learning things that, while you learn, are potentially going to cost you money. It's a difficult decision to make to risk cash on exploring a new technology. Here's the good news, for several reasons, you don't need to sweat this to get going with Windows Azure SQL Database (WASD). A couple of years ago Jamie Thompson (b|t) set up an account on Azure, all on his own, that allowed people to connect up to it and play with a copy of the AdventureWorks…
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Book Review: Business in the Trenches

Professional Development
I'm trying to improve. That's at just about everything too. I know I don't know enough or have enough skills to always get things done in an efficient manner, so I'm trying to learn more. One way is by reading, a lot. I've read a number of management and leadership books, many of them reviewed on this web site. I just finished the book Business in the Trenches. I really enjoyed it. It combined two of my passions, self-improvement and history, specifically history of World War I. Now, this is a tech, community and business blog, so I won't go on & on about the Great War (although I could if you wanted). Instead, I simply want to provide you a link to my review of this book. It really is a…
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HDInsight, Finally

Azure, HDInsight
See this: That's right. The install worked. All I had to do was get a completely clean server set up. No domain controller. Now to get my learn on. Microsoft has a web site with a number of introductory samples. I'll start there and work through them. The very first example gets me set up with some data that it builds by running a Powershell script, importdata.ps1. But I'm not going to just blindly follow along. I want to see what the heck is happening so I can start understanding this stuff. By the way, thank you Microsoft for making the samples in PowerShell and not forcing me to relearn Python or something else. That would have been frustrating. The script is really simple. It has two scenarios you can…
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Final 2012 Learning Opportunity

Misc
There's still a little time left in the year. I know some businesses have allocated training budgets and if they don't spend the money, they lose it from their budget. So a few of you might still be looking for opportunities to get your learn on. I've got one more big one before the end of the year. You can try heading down to Florida for the Live 360 conference. I'll be there along with several friends (love my #sqlfamily). I'm presenting two sessions, one on setting up an environment for performance testing using the new distributed playback capabilities from SQL Server 2012 and one on introducing the accidental DBA to backups. You can still register here to attend these sessions and all the other great ones being presented. Last…
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Interviewing a DBA

PASS, SQL Server, T-SQL
I'm not a fan of trivia style interview questions. Yes, I ask a few because you have to in order to immediately eliminate the completely unqualified applicants. Even those types of questions, in my opinion, need to be focused on concepts and not syntax. The reason we have the Books Online with SQL Server is because you shouldn't have to memorize every possible command along with all their parameters. Want to know how to write a MERGE query? Look it up. What does a MERGE query do? That you ought to know. I think concepts are important. Questions about the recovery models within SQL Server aren't trivia about the system, they're trying to get to your understanding of how point in time recovery works. I don't really like posting interview…
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SQL In The City: London 2012, Recap

Professional Development, Redgate Software, T-SQL, Tools
Wow! How's that for a recap? The concept for the SQL in the City events is pretty simple. Put on a free event that instructs people on SQL Server, Azure, and related technologies along with a healthy smattering of Red Gate tools. All teaching is done by some of the best people in the business (and me). This was the second event in London. The concept was launched there last year and succeeded quite well. This year the event filled it's registrations so quickly that Red Gate felt obligated to have a second day, which almost completely filled up too. There were more than 350 people in attendance on Friday, and then, on Saturday, a day off, another 250+ people showed up. That's well over 600 attendees over the two…
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