Three of my archived SQL Server webcasts just went up on Quest Backstage. Jason Hall and I follow the same pattern each time: I cover the topic from a DBA’s perspective, talk about the problem and how a DBA would address it using just the native tools. Then, Jason showcases Quest products that can solve the problem even easier.
I like this format because it’s a great learning tool for DBAs regardless of whether or not they’re using Quest tools. I try to give as much helpful information as I can about the native tools, and I don’t just sit around bashing SQL Server’s included tools. Jason then shows the Quest tools, so it’s like doing your own product eval without having to set up all the software just to find out if it’s interesting or not.
- SQL Server consolidation - we discuss why consolidation is a hot topic, how to plan for it, and how some of the Quest tools can help.
- Clustered indexes - we cover what they are, when you want to use them, how to find out which ones are missing, and how to diagnose the I/O problems they cause.
- Index defragmentation - learn why I like to call index fragmentation the Silent (Performance) Killer, how to prevent it with SQL Server’s native tools, and how Capacity Manager makes it even easier.
You can view the archived webcasts on Quest Backstage, and if you’ve got ideas for other pain-of-the-week webcasts, submit ‘em on the site too. We take questions all the time and try to tailor the webcasts to the problems you face.
