Working in the SQL Server emergency room, I see a lot of self-inflicted performance wounds. That query looks good, and it looks like it’s using an index – but why does it take so long? The query runs great half the time, but the rest of the time performance is cut off at the knees,…
Author Archives: Brent Ozar
Why Is My Virtual SQL Server So Slow?
After we virtualize SQL Server, troubleshooting performance becomes a lot tougher. There’s more moving parts like shared storage and VMware, and we DBAs don’t usually get access to those tools to find out what’s going on. So what’s a DBA to do? Wednesday, I’m doing a free one-hour webcast talking about what makes virtual SQL…
How to Interview Storage Vendors
Buying SAN gear is hard work. You have to compare vendors based on performance, capacity, reliability, ease of implementation, quality of support, and of course, price. When I’m working with a client buying new storage, here’s the questions I have them ask each prospective storage vendor. Q: If we buy SSD, SAS, and SATA drives,…
An Introduction to VLDBs Video
Big data’s grandpa is the Very Large DataBase (VLDB) and we’ve been doing VLDBs in SQL Server for years. Making the jump from managing 10-100GB databases to the terabyte level can be intimidating, but in this 30-minute session, Brent Ozar will share the lessons he learned along the way so you don’t have to get…
How Fast Does Your SAN Need to Be for SQL Server?
Let’s oversimplify the bejeezus out of this complex problem. Suspend your disbelief for a second and work with me: We have a database server hosting just one 100GB table. Sure, in reality, we’ve got lots of databases and lots of tables, but we’re going to keep this simple. We’ve got a simple sales table that…
How Fast is Your SAN? (Or How Slow?)
A few years ago, Erika and I went to the VW dealership to trade in her old Jetta and get a new one. The choice of a Jetta was already a foregone conclusion – she loved VWs at the time – and it was just a matter of picking out colors and options. We took…
How to Talk To Your Boss About World Backup Day
March 31st is World Backup Day, and while most of the press will be focusing on backing up your priceless lolcat photos, it’s still a good time to talk with management about your database backups. Your boss will have some simple questions, and you can arm yourself with a few easy queries. Are We Backing…
Brent Ozar Talks SQL 2012 and MCMs on RunAs Radio
Richard Campbell’s RunAs Radio podcast is a relaxed, fun discussion between IT professionals like sysadmins and DBAs who have to manage infrastructure. Richard’s a hoot to talk to, and I really like hanging out with him. I think that comes through on the podcasts, too – I could spend hours chatting with him, and the…
SQL Server 2012 Release Date: April 1, 2012
Breaking news – Microsoft says it will be generally available for download on April 1, 2012 – yes, April Fool’s Day. Mary Jo Foley writes that MSDN/TechNet subscribers will be able to download it tomorrow, March 7th. SQL Server 2012 Evaluation (Free) Download Page SQL Server 2012 Press Kit SQL 2012 Launch Event on March…
How to Get Money From Managers Video
Are you frustrated because you can’t get the tools or training you need? Does your manager keep saying “NO!” and make you do things the hard way? The real problem isn’t usually budgets: it’s communication. In this 20-minute video, I’ll show you how to make the case for the stuff you want, show you free…
