Solid state drives (SSDs) have gotten a lot of press because they can be dramatically faster than magnetic hard drives. They use flash memory instead of spinning magnetic platters. Since any bit of memory can be accessed at any time without moving a hard drive's head around, SSD random access is insanely fast. [caption id="attachment_6789" align="alignright" ...
In the final part of my SQL University serries, I talk about the nightmares of storage: why things change when we’re not looking and why virtualization makes it harder to keep an eye on things.
In part 2 of this series, I cover magnetic hard drives, solid state drives, and RAID arrays. I explain the pros and cons of each, and I discuss their relative speeds.
In part 1 of a multi-part series, I talk about what SQL Server stores, why your data and transaction files are usually best kept on separate drive arrays, and why cache doesn’t always help.
Storage Area Networks (SANs) can do multipathing, but what does that really mean? I explain the differences between failover and performance load balancing, and talk about why active/active multipathing isn’t what it seems.
I wish I could be at the PASS Europe Summit this week, but since I can't, I've recorded my presentation. I'll be giving this live via LiveMeeting too at the Summit, answering questions over video if PASS is able to get a working camera set up. I salute the heroic efforts of PASS volunteers Charley ...
Meetings are like bad blocking queries – they tie up precious resources and stop other people from getting work done. Today, let’s talk about how to optimize both of ‘em by doing homework ahead of time and minimizing the number of objects in the transaction.
All databases are not created equal. Learn how to find greedy databases – ones that are using up more IO than others – and learn what options you have for reducing their loads.
The strength of your car’s headlights, the speed of your reactions, and the power of your brakes determine how fast you can drive safely at night. Likewise, in SQL Server, we need to see down the road before disaster strikes, and react as quickly as possible.
Sometimes less is more – and indexes are definitely one of those times. Learn how to identify overlapping indexes and why they’re so bad for performance, and learn about SQL Server 2005′s new INCLUDE feature.
When recruiters call you or email you, here’s how to respond to their questions. I talk about how to adapt your resume, how to respond to questions about salaries, and whether to work with just one recruiter at a time.
When you’re hiring a Windows desktop administrator, here’s the best questions to ask. Includes questions like, “What’s a Windows profile? When would you delete one, and what gets deleted?”
These are also good for environments where the sysadmins have to wear multiple hats, and they also touch servers.
Why do some interviewers insist on asking ridiculously impossible questions when they’re interviewing the most junior candidates? I explain why you should use questions people can actually answer, and quit trying to hit the lotto.
If you’re hiring someone who will be storing data in a database, here’s how to find out if they know what they’re doing. Includes questions like, “Explain referential integrity and where it can be enforced,” and “What’s the fastest way to get a thousand records into the database?”
Looking for someone with more than a couple years of experience? Here’s how to find out if they’re bluffing. Includes questions like, “I’m a developer – explain why I need a unique key on my table.” Of course, I don’t include the answers – that would make it too easy for people to read this blog and fake it!