Let's say you're working with a big copy of the Stack Overflow database, and you wanna get all the users, like for a data export. SQL Server doesn't parallelize this query, not even if you use the query hint that asks for a parallel plan:
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I just got done with another rotation of my Mastering classes, so if you've got a membership to those recordings, it's time to head in and watch the changed modules. This is especially true if you've got an annual subscription, and you're planning on canceling this November before your renewal hits - get in there now and watch the new stuff before your membership expires!
The winter rotation of my live online classes starts next week:
Fundamentals Week - Nov 2-6
Mastering Index Tuning - Nov 30-Dec 4
Mastering Query Tuning - Jan 11-15
Mastering Server Tuning - Feb 8-12
This episode is entirely dedicated to just one question, and it's not a technical one. MidwestDBA asked, "When Randolph West left Microsoft, you wrote 'They're leaving MS'. While it was clearly just 1 guy leaving, not many, so 'he is leaving', not 'they are leaving'. I do think this excessive PC language fuels the far-right globally. An extreme reaction to an extreme phenomenon." Let's talk about it.
You're testing a query, and you're just not getting the same performance between the development and production servers.
There's a huge list of common things that might be causing it:
This needs to just stay between you and me, okay?
Microsoft's been working on automatically indexing SQL Server databases. No, not that Azure SQL DB feature, but one that actually works on-premises, going back through all supported versions of SQL Server. This is the brain child of Conor Cunningham and Jianjun Chen - yes, those guys, legends of the SQL Server engine, who've been hard at work on this for over two decades.
Today at Day of Data Orlando, I moderated a panel discussion with Bob Ward, Celia Brusatori, Kevin Feasel, Rob Volk, and Tim Radney talking about AI in your career, and whether it's your sidekick, hero, or villain.
A few really interesting things came up that I wanna share with you because I know a lot of y'all don't get out to meet your peers in person at regional or national conferences. I feel you. I try to bring you along with me.
It's a cold, gloomy day on the very last Alaskan cruise of the season. Yes, I picked this on purpose! While I talk about why this is a fun cruise to be on, let's take your top-voted questions from https://pollgab.com/room/brento.
Prefer listening to this via podcast? Good news! You can now subscribe to Office Hours on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podcast Index, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, and anywhere else fine podcasts are found.
There's a new SQL Server Management Studio update out today.
I'd hold off on it for now.
Microsoft has started a series of blog posts helping Postgres developers who are "upgrading" to Microsoft SQL. (Microsoft's been using that generic "SQL" term to refer to its collection of database products: Azure SQL DB, Hyperscale, Managed Instances, and SQL Server.)
I let the first blog post slide, but the second post explained why Microsoft is so much better than Postgres at handling connections, and it's so egregiously misleading that I'm gonna have to step in.
You’re a developer or a DBA, and you’re comfortable writing queries to get the data you need. You’re much less comfortable trying to design the right indexes for your database server. In my new totally free How to Think Like the Engines class, you’ll learn how the SQL Server and Postgres database engines look at your indexes and build your query results.
Tick tock.
SQL Server 2017 extended support ends on October 12, 2027.
When we were kids, we knew we were in for something heavy whenever a TV series began an episode with a title card explaining, "This is a very special episode of ___." It meant they were gonna discuss something heavy, like cancer or drugs or loss.
Well, in this Very Special Episode of Office Hours, we're going to talk about what's happening to tech jobs in the wake of AI.
Is your company hiring for a database position as of October 2026? Do you wanna work with the kinds of people who read this blog? Let's make a love connection.
If your company is hiring, leave a comment. The rules:
You wanna take my SQL Server classes. Your boss wants to know what they cost, when you'll be away from your usual work, and what the team gets out of it. You don't wanna pay a lot for this muffler. Fair. Apparently “Brent seems fun” isn't a complete business case. Tough crowd. So I put…
I got my start in hotels & restaurants, worked my way up to being a hotel general manager, before switching into tech. I've been a solo contributor, a team member, a manager, and an outside consultant, at companies big & small.
If you're reading this, you're probably used to working in tech with your hands.
I teach Microsoft SQL Server performance tuning in a 4-class rotation. The winter rotation is getting ready to start:
Fundamentals Week - November 2-6
Mastering Index Tuning - November 30-Dec 4
Mastering Query Tuning - January 11-15, 2027
Mastering Server Tuning - February 8-12, 2027
Sometimes my value as a blogger is to make complex topics simple, or to deliver industry news to you, or to entertain you. Sometimes, it's just to keep you posted on things that are happening in the industry.
So with that in mind, at Microsoft FabCon Barcelona this week, there was a partner day for Microsoft partners. From there, Eelco Drost (shout out to the smart & fun folks at MasterMinds) shared a slide:
On Wednesday, registration opens for the next round of my live training classes, and you can get access to all my live classes & recordings for just $995. So, what's been changing with databases & classes lately?
This year, I rebuilt the classes with a new focus:
A couple times a year, I go away for a week to think about what's working well, what I need to change, where our industry is going, and how I need to react. I usually do it on a cruise because the crappy internet makes it easier to disconnect and reflect, hahaha, and that's where…
