16Sep 2008 by Grant Fritchey 2 Comments

JumpStartTV

SQL Server, T-SQL
All the videos I recorded on execution plans for JumpStartTV are now available. Please, go and check them out. Then hang around JumpStartTV and check out all the videos that Brian Knight did on SSIS. Also, if you're interested, I think Andy and the team would like other people to submit videos as well. So if you're watching my stumbling attempts and are convinced you can do better, do it and submit it.
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15Sep 2008 by Grant Fritchey No Comments

Video Lessons

SQL Server, T-SQL
A while back, I wrote a book, Dissecting SQL Server Execution Plans. Because of it, I had some conversations with Steve Jones & Andy Warren. For a SQL Server geek, heady company. Anyway, they asked me what my plans are for the book. Plans? I wrote it. I thought that was the plan. But they meant lessons, licensing and all that kind of stuff. I didn't have a clue, but they did. A few weeks ago I flew down to Florida and recorded a bunch of short video lesson plans derived from the book and from discussions with Andy Warren. It was a blast. They've now been published over at JumpstartTV. I hope you find them useful. I had a blast doing them and learned a lot from Andy and…
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18Aug 2008 by Grant Fritchey No Comments

Training and Learning

SQL Server, Tools
I think these are usually two different things, but most people conflate the two. There was a great discussion over at SQL Server Central based on an editorial by Steve Jones. It's worth reading through to see how people learn or get themselves trained. One common theme is reading books. I'm looking at stacks of them all over my desk, so it would be hard to deny their use. If you too like to read, then I've got something for you. Red Gate is doing a promotion where, when you purchase SQL Tool Belt, you can also download five E-Books offered by Apress. Several of them look pretty interesting, so this is a good deal. Not to mention, if you're not using some of the tools from SQL Tool Belt already, you're…
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08Aug 2008 by Grant Fritchey No Comments

SQLPLAN Glitch

SQL Server, T-SQL
While I was doing some work for Andy Warren (more on this after Sept 1st), I came across an interesting little glitch when saving XML execution plans out as SQLPlan files. It's easy enough to replicate. Just get an XML execution plan from your query: SET STATISTITCS XML ON; SELECT... Click on the link to open the XML plan. Click on the "File" menu and then the "Save As" menu item. It opens the familiar file save window. Click on the "Save as type" drop down and switch to "All Files (*.*)" Save the file with an extension of ".sqlplan." Good. Now you've got an execution plan file that can be opened and viewed as a GUI execution plan. Without closing the XML, try to open this new plan. You…
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06Aug 2008 by Grant Fritchey No Comments

Deadlocks vs. Blocks

SQL Server, T-SQL
It makes me crazy when I interview someone who has five or more years as a DBA, but they don't know the difference between a block and a deadlock. It's a complete showstopper for me. If you don't know this, you're an entry-level DBA, don't talk to me about your years of experience. Sorry, but there it is. Here's someone that's kinder than I am in every way. Not only have they cut people slack on this question, but he's provided a well done answer to the question. For those who may interview with me in the future, go and read this and understand it.
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01Aug 2008 by Grant Fritchey 2 Comments

SQL Server DBA’s Sound-Off

SQL Server
This is a great read about the attitudes and beliefs of quite a few SQL Server DBA's. It's very interesting how certain beliefs and attitudes seem to be common. I was also reassured that my attitude about a certain DBA was accurate... less said the better. These are interesting and informative guys doing the same kind of work that I try to do. If you're trying to, go read it and learn. I read about it on StatisticsIO. Another place with good things to read.
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18Jul 2008 by Grant Fritchey 2 Comments

Virtual Drives

SQL Server
I published an article describing an attempt my company made at using virtual servers as a full-fledged development environment. It didn't work real well. I'm not a systems guy. I know a bit. I pay attention and learn things. I certainly listen to the people around me that are systems experts. When several of them commented on this great assessment of virtual drives, I went and read it. It sounds like some really cool technology only with the ability to really make our lives harder. Like the article says, how often do you check to see if the drive has slowed down?
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01Jul 2008 by Grant Fritchey 10 Comments

Constant Scan in Execution Plans

SQL Server, T-SQL
I see a lot of searches from people apparently trying to find out what having a Constant Scan in their execution plan means. I can understand why. Here's the definition from the Books Online: The Constant Scan operator introduces one or more constant rows into a query. A Compute Scalar operator is often used to add columns to a row produced by a Constant Scan operator. OK. Very precise and yet, unless you know what the sentence means, reading it can be pretty confusing. The key is to see what Compute Scalar means: The Compute Scalar operator evaluates an expression to produce a computed scalar value. This may then be returned to the user, referenced elsewhere in the query, or both. An example of both is in a filter predicate…
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23Jun 2008 by Grant Fritchey No Comments

Breaking Down Complex Execution Plans

SQL Server, T-SQL
Peter Ward, the editor at SQL Server Performance, has published an article of mine on Breaking Down Complex Execution Plans. I go way beyond the blog entry below and show how the estimated costs in execution plans can mess you up, how to use the XML in execution plans to search through them for costly operations or operations that have mismatched estimated rows & actual rows and some other tips and tricks. Hopefully it's worth a read.
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