A Real Version Upgrade at Last Whereas SQL Server 2008R2 was just a service pack that we had to pay for, SQL 2012 brings important changes, not all of them good. Microsoft has been juggling …
Solving SQL Server Blocking Problems
In prior articles of our series on SQL Server optimization methods, we have mainly discussed indexes and related issues. But not all SQL Server performance issues are causing by inadequate …
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SQL Azure Revisited
Is SQL Azure Ready for Primetime? It's been a couple of years since I reviewed SQL Azure at the end of its beta period. My original assessment was "Not ready for prime time" but a lot has changed …
Using Sparse Columns and Filtered Indexes
For the past few months in this newsletter we have been discussing performance optimization using plain vanilla SQL Server indexes. This month we will still be discussing indexes, but indexes of a new …
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Choosing the Right Clustered Index Key
For performance reasons, clustered indexes are necessary on almost all tables. We assume that the reader is aware of this. This article isn't going explain the why's and wherefore's of that statement. …
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Understanding Search Arguments
This is the fourth article in a series entitled "A Practical Methodology for Query Optimization". Each article builds on what we learned in earlier articles. If you have not read the previous …