Clik here to view.
How to Ask Your Boss for Training Money
“I’m scared. Hold me.” I hear that all the time from people who want to go to a conference, a training event, or SQLCruise. They’re terrified to walk into The Boss’s office because The Boss only says...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Top 10 Reasons I No Longer Work for Paul & Kim
In the middle of last year, I left Quest Software. It was nothing against Quest – I loved what I was doing – but a better opportunity came up that I just couldn’t ignore. The Microsoft Certified...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Consulting Lines: “Yes, that used to be a best practice, and…”
One of the cool things about working with an established product like SQL Server is that there’s a ton of knowledge out there. The intertubes are chock full of advice about how to manage all kinds of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Developers Need My SQL Server Tuning Training
Hey you – put down the Entity Framework book for a second. Pop quiz time. What’s usually the slowest thing in your application? Yep – the database. Damn that thing. Doesn’t it frustrate you that you...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Joys of Tech Editing
I like tech editing because it sharpens my skills. I think of it as honing my BS detector. When I read something that surprises me, I’m forced to go dig much deeper into SQL Server to find the real...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Not joining SQLskills as an owner after all
Almost ten years ago, some friends of ours (Erika & me) went through a rough divorce. We’d always thought they were completely happy, and their divorce took us completely by surprise. The more we...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Scaling up or scaling out?
When you need SQL Server to handle more load, there’s two big-picture ways to do it: Scale up – use a more powerful SQL Server Scale out – use more SQL Servers Quick disclaimer first – before you try...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Consulting Lines: “What happens if that doesn’t work?”
Companies don’t bring me in when things are going great and everything’s working flawlessly, oh no. As a consultant, I’ve seen lot of ways that things can fail. If a tree falls in a forest and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Five Favorite Free SQL Server Downloads
So you’re lazy and you’re company’s broke – what to do? Here’s my favorite free downloads to help manage SQL Server: Understand execution plans with SQL Sentry Plan Explorer – I dunno about you, but...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Microsoft MVP Summit
Next week, Microsoft MVPs from around the world will be gathering in Redmond at the Microsoft campus. This will be my second MVP Summit, and I wanted to give you a peek into what happens at this...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Five Classic Videos Every DBA Should Watch
Every now and then, I get a comment from someone thanking me for one of my older videos. There’s still a lot of good stuff in here, so I thought I’d put up a reminder – here’s some of my favorite...
View ArticleClik here to view.
RAID 0 SATA with 2 Drives: It’s Web Scale!
Before I start with this sordid tale of low scalability, I want to thank the guys at Phusion for openly discussing the challenges they’re having with Union Station. They deserve applause and hugs for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to Get Paid to Take a Cruise
As a database expert, I regularly travel to speak at conferences. When I travel, I try to time my trips to take advantage of other opportunities to see sights, visit friends, or relax. When my...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Scaling Up or Scaling Out? Part Two
In part 1 of this post, I covered how SQL Server handles scaling up. We talked about how quickly it becomes expensive to add more CPU power, memory, and storage throughput to our database servers....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Consulting Lines: “Do you want 10% faster, 100% faster, or 1000% faster?”
My favorite engagement is when I’m brought in to help a good person who’s overwhelmed. The manager knows his DBA is smart, but the DBA is just flat out overworked. Too many developers are slinging...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to Build a SQL Server Support Matrix
When I want to check out a piece of software, one of the first things I look for (after the price tag) is the support matrix. I want to know what versions of SQL Server and Windows they support. I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
SQLCruise 2011 Miami: The Movie
Want to know what it’s like aboard SQLCruise? Here’s our SQLCruise 2011 Miami movie trailer: You can read more about our adventures in our day-by-day recaps: Day 1 Recap – Training at Sea sponsored by...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dealing with Presentation Criticism
I just had a champagne moment. Dozens of good feedback forms, and one not-so-good one. Scott Adams (the creator of Dilbert) blogged about having these champagne moments in his life, times when he was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Monday Meme: Eleven Word Blog Post
Copy, paste, copy, paste. I just love plagiarizing helping the community. Tom LaRock challenged us to write an eleven word blog post and I couldn’t resist resurrecting an old theme. John Dunleavy (who...
View ArticleClik here to view.
I’m on RunAsRadio Talking SQL Azure and SSDs
At the Connections conference in Orlando, I had the opportunity to sit down with Richard Campbell, host of RunAs Radio, and talk shop. I love conversations with Richard because he gets to travel and...
View Article