Month: October 2012

Who’s testing your restores? No, really – who’s testing your restores?

Last Updated April 7, 2021

I recently posed the question, “Who’s taking your backups?” This is of utmost importance, because your business’s data is the business. Protecting it and backing it up need to be priorities for DBAs. Now, for my next question: who is responsible for restoring those backups? The saying goes that your data is only as good…

Trade Offs: Code Quality

Last Updated October 29, 2012

Jeremiah Peschka

SQL Server

What has two thumbs and is talking about code quality at SQL in the City Seattle? Nearly every day, we’re faced with a decision about quality and time. Do you write quick and dirty code or do you take the time to get it right? Your decision is going to last a lot longer than…

Tadah! Welcome to the New BrentOzar.com

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Brent Ozar

Company News, Consulting

If you swing by BrentOzar.com today, you’ll notice that ZOMG EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT! About six months ago, we embarked on an ambitious project to redesign the entire BrentOzar.com. We quickly picked PixelSpoke, a web design firm based in Portland, and they knocked it out of the park. PixelSpoke started by surveying our clients to find…

TL;DR Use A Picture

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Jeremiah Peschka

Processes and Practices

When you run into problems at work, how do you tell your manager what you did? Typically you would write up the problem, the solution, and a quick summary of the outcome. If you’re like me, this isn’t a lot of fun. And, if your manager is anything like most managers, they don’t want to…

Reader Letter from Kelly J.

Last Updated October 30, 2012

Brent Ozar

SQL Server, Virtualization

Hi Brent – I would imagine you get many of these notes of appreciation for what you do but I just couldn’t leave the office for the day without say “Thank you so much”. I would have never have thought that my personal investment would have paid such dividends. Today, armed with the awesome information,…

SQL Server Installation Best Practices Video

Last Updated October 17, 2012

Brent Ozar

SQL Server, Videos

Wait! You only get one chance to do this right. Before you run setup.exe, there are some basic configuration steps that will make all the difference in performance and troubleshooting. Brent Ozar will explain his SQL Server Setup Checklist covering the page file, service accounts, memory settings, and hardware stress testing. We won’t cover scripted…

kCura Relativity DBAs – Meet Me at RelativityFest

Last Updated February 9, 2017

Brent Ozar

kCura Relativity, SQL Server

I’ve been doing a lot of work lately with kCura Relativity, a legal discovery tool with a SQL Server back end. I really enjoy working with George Orr, Scott Ellis, Mike Kolek, and the rest of the team at kCura because they’re fun people solving cool technology problems. It’s not too often that you hear…

Conference Speakers – Check Your Room Size

Last Updated April 21, 2013

Brent Ozar

#SQLPass, SQL Server, Writing and Presenting

When you’re speaking at a conference, try to get the room schedules long before the event day. Right now, the PASS Summit conference schedule is available, and each speaker’s room is listed. Then, check out the building’s floorplan – in this case, the Washington State Convention Center’s floorplans page. Check out the seating capacity for…

The Top Three Performance Tuning Mistakes

Last Updated April 21, 2013

Kendra Little

Consulting, SQL Server

Take it from me, performance tuning ain’t easy. To do it well you need to use all of your technical skill, plan strategically, and communicate your recommendations effectively. You also need to inspire adoption. After all, what good is a plan to change a system if you can’t convince anyone to go along with you?…

Recognizing SQL Server’s Warning Signs

Last Updated November 13, 2019

Brent Ozar

SQL Server

It’s crucial for database administrators to recognize signs of pending doom. Make sure you’re able to quickly spot problems in SQL Server Management Studio by studying these screenshots. Databases that haven’t been backed up in 24 hours Databases with old compatibility levels Databases running out of space on the C drive SQL Server with Priority…

A Week of Conferences and Travel

Last Updated October 8, 2012

Jeremiah Peschka

SQL Server

This week is a double conference extravaganza! That also means that this week is a double travel extravaganza, so you can expect to see a lot of moaning about airports over on twitter. Feel free to heckle me back as I travel across the country from Portland, to San Francisco, to Columbus, and back again.…

You Can Give A Technical Presentation (Video)

Last Updated October 5, 2012

Jes Schultz

Writing and Presenting

In your dream, you’re standing in front of a room full of dozens of people, presentation mouse in hand, about to present to them on (insert SQL Server feature here). You wake up in a cold sweat. You’re either terrified, or excited and terrified. Are you ready to start presenting? Join Jes as she shares…

Learn to Speak DBA Slang

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Brent Ozar

Humor

Ever wonder what those big-company DBAs are saying when they start busting out the cryptic terms? Learn the slang of database administrators with this handy reference guide. Wizard of Oz – admin who makes everyone think things are automated, but he’s really just duct taping things together. “The executives think we’ve got a reporting dashboard,…

Congratulations, You’re an MVP! Here’s What You Need to Know.

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Brent Ozar

Professional Development

So you got an award email from Microsoft awarding you MVP status, and you’re wondering, “What happens next? What does all this mean?” First off, congratulations from a fellow MVP. I’ve been one for a few years now, and for me at least, the giddy feeling doesn’t go away. I’m really proud that Microsoft likes…

Troubleshooting the Top Five Waits Occurring in SQL Server DBAs

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Kendra Little

Humor, SQL Server

We’ve all been there: the SQL Server Database Administrator has been running slowly and everyone’s getting cranky. How can you tell what’s wrong and what steps you need to take to restore normal operations? Database administrators have great instrumentation. When asked, they’re happy to tell you about their bottlenecks in excruciating detail. Use this handy…