Posts by Brent Ozar

Brent Ozar

2448 posts

https://www.brentozar.com

I make Microsoft SQL Server go faster. I love teaching, travel, cars, and laughing. I'm based out of Las Vegas. He/him.

Just that it's really, really good food.

Every Consultant Needs Three Things

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Brent Ozar

Consulting, Professional Development

Tired of workin’ for the man? Want to live the glamorous life of jet setting around from place to place, working on really challenging problems, and eating at foodie restaurants? You just need three things. 1. A price. Right now, people probably don’t put a value on your time. You can’t exactly put up an…

My ex-girlfriends would have been surrounded by red and yellow.

The First Step to the Poor Man’s Runbook

Last Updated February 9, 2017

Brent Ozar

Backup and Recovery, Processes and Practices

In theory, before you introduce a new system – database server, load balancer, virtualization infrastructure, etc – you build a robust runbook that documents how you’ll handle every conceivable scenario. When there’s any kind of failure, you’ll simply turn to chapter X and start going through a precise checklist that will guide you to the…

I'll give you fifteen minutes to stop that.

sp_Blitz® v16: Snapshots, Recompiles, ShrinkDB, and More

Last Updated March 26, 2014

Brent Ozar

SQL Server

I don’t blog every release of sp_Blitz® (we pushed v15 out silently with a few bug fixes) but we added a lot of improvements and fixes in this version – and by we I mean you. After I blogged about v14’s release earlier this week, that encouraged a lot of people to come out of the woodwork…

sp_Blitz® v14 Adds VLFs, DBCC, Failsafe Operators, and More

Last Updated March 26, 2014

Brent Ozar

SQL Server

Today, we’ve got a big one, and it’s all thanks to you. For the last couple of versions, I haven’t added any big features because I’d been focused on the plan cache improvements. Today, though, we’ve got a big one with all kinds of health-checking improvements – and they’re all thanks to your contributions. Lori…

Bob Dylan Explains TempDB (Video)

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Brent Ozar

Humor, TempDB, Videos

How many files must a TempDB have before it’s allowed to be fast? How many table variables must a server walk down before it’s considered a table? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind, and Bob Dylan will share it with you in this 25-minute video – hopefully you can understand him.

Backups Gone Bad: The Danger of Differentials

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Brent Ozar

Backup and Recovery, SQL Server

As your databases get bigger, you’re going to run out of time to do nightly full backups. You’re going to be tempted by the siren song of differential backups. The idea is that you’ll do full backups on the weekends, and then differential backups each night of the week. Differential backups aren’t just the sum…

PASS Summit Feedback: Top Ten AGAIN!

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Brent Ozar

#SQLPass, SQL Server

Wow. Just wow. I’m totally humbled to say that my sp_Blitz® session and my AlwaysOn Availability Groups session were both voted among the best ten sessions at the PASS Summit 2012 conference. The sp_Blitz® session felt like the best session I’d ever presented in my life. The room was jam packed full of people with…

How to Set SQL Server Max Memory for VMware

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Brent Ozar

SQL Server, Virtualization

SQL Server has two settings that kinda-sorta govern how much memory we’ll use to cache data: min server memory and max server memory. I explain the basics of how they work in my Sysadmin’s Guide to SQL Server Memory, but things are a little different under virtualization. VMware does a great job of sharing memory…

Introducing the SQL Server Plan Cache (and a Better sp_Blitz®)

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Brent Ozar

Execution Plans, SQL Server, Videos

When you send your beautifully hand-crafted organic T-SQL statement to SQL Server, the database engine takes a moment to appreciate the poetry of your work. Before it turns your request into results, it has to build an execution plan. SQL Server considers: Which tables it needs to join together What subqueries it needs to execute…

What DBAs Need to Know About Hardware

Last Updated November 11, 2012

Brent Ozar

SQL Server

If you became a database administrator by rising through the ranks of software developers, you probably haven’t built your own servers from the ground up. That’s totally okay – but you’re missing some important information that will make you a better database administrator. In this 20-minute session, Brent Ozar will help you get started exploring…

#SQLPASS Summit Keynote Liveblog Day 2

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Brent Ozar

#SQLPass, SQL Server

Good morning ladies and gentlemen! The conference hall is filling up in Seattle, and it’s time to crank up another blow-by-blow commentary. I’ll be updating this blog every few minutes with what’s happening here at the PASS Summit. For a refresher, check out the liveblog of yesterday’s keynote. PASS Summit Keynote Stage 8:20AM – People…

#SQLPASS Summit Keynote Liveblog – Day 1

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Brent Ozar

#SQLPass, SQL Server

PASS Summit Keynote Day 1 Good morning, folks! Lights, camera, action – it’s time for the first keynote presentation at the Professional Association for SQL Server Summit. It’s the annual international conference for Microsoft database folks. This year it’s in Seattle, Washington again. Over the next two hours, I’ll be expanding this post with minute-by-minute…

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…

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…

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…

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…