Posts by Kendra Little

Kendra Little

167 posts

My goal is for you to understand your SQL Server’s behavior– and learn how to change it. When I’m not figuring out the solutions to your database problems, you’ll find me at user group meetings in Portland, Oregon. I also love to draw.

How Big Are Your Log Writes? Spying on the SQL Server Transaction Log

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Kendra Little

Storage

I’m a bit of a researcher. When I want to know about a topic, I start off by doing a lot of reading. After I take a lot in, I want to make sure I understand the details. At that point, I try to think like a scientist. I come up with ways to test what…

SQL Server Tricks: How Can I Restore a Subset of My Tables to A Prior Point in Time?

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Kendra Little

Backup and Recovery

This question came up when working with a client last week. The team mentioned they were planning to move some tables into a new filegroup. The new filegroup is intended to help quickly restore data in cases when a monthly process goes off the rails and leaves the data in some tables in a bad…

Breaking News: Changes to Microsoft SQL Server Certifications

Last Updated April 11, 2012

Kendra Little

Microsoft Learning published new information today which changes the certification landscape in a big way. Think you understand how to get certified? You’ve got a set of new terms and new rules to learn! I’ll give you my take on the high points here. Join us next Tuesday in our webcast to get the full…

How To Decide if You Should Use Table Partitioning

Last Updated July 12, 2023

Kendra Little

Partitioning, SQL Server

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Great volumes have been written about table partitioning. It’s a complex feature and you can read for days to just understand how you might apply it. But will it improve performance for you? Table partitioning produces great benefits for some applications, but causes giant headaches for others. How do you know if you should invest your…

Why Availability Groups Make It Cool Again to Be a Sysadmin

Last Updated February 9, 2017

Kendra Little

Always On Availability Groups

Professions go through phases. Some skills are highly valued for a while, then go out of fashion. Just like leg warmers and skinny jeans, some skills come back into style when you least expect it. Sideburns are back Database Administrators Started Out in the Server Room In the early days, most database administrators started out…

Three Things You Should Never Say in a Technical Interview

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Kendra Little

Professional Development

Did I say that out loud? When preparing for a technical interview, most people forget to think about how they answer questions. Even though you’re focusing on technical topics, make sure you avoid some simple statements that could spoil your chances to land that job. #3: My Coworker Was an Idiot Whether or not it’s…

An Introduction to SQL Server Clusters

Last Updated February 9, 2017

Kendra Little

Clustering

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The options for high availability can get confusing. I was lucky enough to begin working with SQL Server clusters early in my career, but many people have a hard time finding simple information on what a cluster does and the most common gotchas when planning a cluster. Today, I’ll tell you what clusters are, what they’re…

Three Consulting Tools to Make You a Better DBA

Last Updated February 9, 2012

Kendra Little

As a consultant, I solve hard problems, and I use cool tools. These tools could help you, too– and in ways that may surprise you. Problem 1: The DBA’s Time is Money, and It’s Limited You know what, DBAs? You’re expensive. DBAs are frequently involved in every task that touches a database. This includes Windows…

How to Test Your Backup Strategy: Five Simple Questions

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Kendra Little

Backup and Recovery

Backup strategies are like rashes: people tend to ignore them for as long as they can, then they ask a specialist if it’s going to be OK. There’s a lot of good ways to back up databases. The challenge is finding best strategy for your data. To find out if your SQL Server backup strategy measures…

SQL Server Certifications: What to Take and How to Prepare

Last Updated April 14, 2017

Kendra Little

Professional Development

Whether you’re already a database professional or would like to become one, you’ve probably thought about getting certified in SQL Server. Do you need to be certified? What certifications are available and which should you take first? How should you prepare for the exams? Kendra Little is a Microsoft Certified Master in SQL Server. She’ll…

Perk Up Your Career with the SQL Server Troubleshooting Checklist

Last Updated December 12, 2011

Kendra Little

When an application is offline or performing so badly that the users are complaining, what do you turn to? When your cellphone says a major incident is ongoing and you can’t get to a computer, where do you send the team at the office? When you’re putting out fires with whatever you can find, how…

SQL Server First Responders Kit Video

Last Updated January 11, 2012

Kendra Little

When your SQL Server is critically injured you need a first responder kit to help you diagnose the problem and apply emergency aid. In this session, Kendra Little introduces you to invaluable tools and techniques for triaging an emergency. If you have one year’s experience with database administration, this half-hour session will set you up…

Three Things That Rock About SQL Server

Last Updated November 22, 2011

Kendra Little

When something remarkable is around for a while, it becomes easy to take it for granted. Today, I’ll share three awesome things about SQL Server with tips to give you an edge when using each one. #1. The Free Online Documentation is Mind Blowing SQL Server is a huge product. We’ve got the database engine,…

Data Driven Promotions: How DBAs and Developers Should Ask for a Raise

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Kendra Little

Professional Development

The Women in Technology lunch and panel discussion at the PASS Summit last week had a great topic: negotiation. When it came time to Q & A, I knew exactly what topic I wanted to introduce. How Should You Prepare to Ask for a Raise? It’s funny this was my question, because I don’t need to…

Kendra Little Explains How to Design Smarter Indexes

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Kendra Little

Indexing, SQL Server

How do you know which indexes to create to improve your database performance? Microsoft Certified Master Kendra Little shows you how to find a missing index, decide on the best index definition, and measure the usefulness of your new index. If you know the basics of what a database index does and want to learn…

The Dedicated Admin Connection: Why You Want It, When You Need It, and How To Tell Who’s Using It

Last Updated August 27, 2017

Kendra Little

SQL Server

There’s a DAC in SQL Server that you should know and love. Sadly, you probably either haven’t met or you’ve forgotten to turn it on. DAC? What’s That? First, a little disambiguation. The acronym ‘DAC’ is too popular. For the context of this article, our DAC is the ‘Dedicated Admin Connection’. SQL Server implements a…

You’ll be Reunited with an Old Friend in 2012

Last Updated August 26, 2011

Kendra Little

I may love a challenge, but I also like things that are quick and easy. There’s one particular quick and easy feature from SQL Server 2005 which I thought was gone for good. But there are signs it’s going to return. Any guesses what I’m talking about? Nope, it’s not Notification Services. (But that would…

Even Simple Changes Can Cause Trouble: A Tale of TempDb

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Kendra Little

TempDB

I recently presented to the Salem Oregon SQL Server user group. During my visit I heard an interesting story: once upon a time in a land not so far way, a high severity production incident was caused by adding an additional data file to the tempdb database. Multiple Tempdb Data Files: Commonly Recommended Each quadrant of…

Five Ways to Fight Blocking Video

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Kendra Little

Locking, Blocking, and Isolation Levels, SQL Server

What do *you* do when your database has a problem with blocking? Most people reach for the “NOLOCK” hint. Bad news: that may introduce other problems, and it doesn’t truly resolve the root problem in your application code. In this video Kendra Little summarizes five big-picture application changes that fight blocking long term. This 300…

How to Be a Superstar: Change a Few Well Placed Things That Make a Difference

Last Updated July 25, 2011

Kendra Little

There’s a few things about creating a luxury experience that apply to the daily work of database administrators, developers, and general programmers. I worked this out last week when I did some spring cleaning. Things I Learned from Cleaning the Bathroom I noticed something when I cleaned the upstairs bathroom: I’d put in a lot…