Back in 2006, I created a very simple tool called SQLQueryStress. The goal of this tool was to enable the user to test a single query under some form of load -- up to 200 simultaneous threads.I wrote this tool primarily for a book I was working on at the time, and used it...

I've received a number of requests over the past couple of years for an Azure-specific version of sp_whoisactive. Given the combination of a lack of interesting DMVs available in Azure and my general lack of interest in all things Azure related, creating a modified version of the proc has not exactly been a top...

Working with hierarchies in SQL Server never fails to be absolutely fascinating. On the face of things they’re super-easy to model and seem to fit perfectly well: parent_key, child_key, self-referencing FK, and you’re done. But then you go to query the thing and there is a complete breakdown. Prior to SQL Server...

"Even experts with decades of SQL Server experience and detailed internal knowledge will want to be careful with this trace flag.  I cannot recommend you use it directly in production unless advised by Microsoft, but you might like to use it on a test system as an extreme last resort, perhaps...

One of the best ways we can differentiate ourselves and further our careers is to get out of the office… and onto a stage. Presenting can give you name recognition; open doors to new opportunities; help you gain a deeper understanding of technology (teaching a topic often forces you to learn it at a...

Sometimes, in the interest of testing various scenarios that your server might encounter, it's useful to be able to quickly simulate some condition or another. I/O, memory, CPU pressure, and so on.This latter one is something I've been playing with a lot recently. CPU pressure in SQL Server creates all sorts of interesting side-effects,...

If the title of this post doesn't have you scratching your head, you may have been paying very rapt attention last time you saw me speak.I love the portability of AdventureWorks and the fact that anyone can download it. Since it was released I've used it almost exclusively for demos in talks I've written....

There I was. A freshly printed bachelor's degree in Computer Science tucked under my arm, I walked into my First Real Job. I'd never touched the technologies I was going to work with--ASP 3.0 and SQL Server--but my employer knew that, and I figured I'd be able to pick things up relatively quickly. After...

“This ugly hack is only temporary,” you think. Six months later, a coworker curses your name, sacrificing a chicken to any deity that will help expedite your getting struck down by lightning, a school bus, or both. Crap code. We’ve all seen it. We’ve all created it. We’re all guilty. Yes, even you....

Just over a year ago I kicked off T-SQL Tuesday, "a recurring, revolving blog party." The idea was simple:Each month a blog will host the party, and about a week before the second Tuesday of the month a theme will be posted. Any blogger that wishes to participate is invited to write a post...