Month: February 2024

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This is just one of the many checks that our Daily Checkup and Quickscan Report from Stedman Solutions will report on. Understanding and Resolving High Virtual Log File (VLF) Count in SQL Server Introduction In the world of SQL Server performance tuning, one often overlooked yet critical aspect is the management of Virtual Log Files (VLFs) within the transaction log. A high count of these VLFs can lead to a variety of issues affecting the overall health and performance of …

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Hello everyone, I’m Steve Stedman, and today, I’m excited to share with you a feature of the Database Health Monitor software that I’ve developed: The Blocking Query Monitor. Understanding and addressing performance bottlenecks in SQL Server is not always an easy task, and one of the biggest contributors to these bottlenecks is often blocking queries. That’s why I’ve built the Blocking Query Monitor. The Blocking Query Monitor is a powerful tool specifically designed to monitor, report, and help resolve blocking …

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Three Fantastic Ways to Master SQL Server Join Types Hey there, SQL enthusiasts and database professionals! It’s Steve Stedman from Stedman Solutions, LLC. Today, I’m excited to share with you three incredible ways to enhance your understanding of SQL Server join types. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to polish your skills, we’ve got something just for you! 1. Grab Your Free Join Types Poster First up, we’re offering a FREE downloadable poster that visually breaks down SQL join types. …

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This is just one of the many checks that our Daily Checkup and Quickscan Report from Stedman Solutions will report on. Security Risks of SQL Server Agent Jobs at Startup Having SQL Server Agent jobs run at startup poses several security and operational risks. It’s important to understand the context and the specific requirements of certain components, like replication, which might necessitate startup jobs. Security Risks: Elevated Permissions: Jobs running at startup might require higher permissions than regular operations, potentially …

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Understanding the Importance of TDE Certificate Backups in SQL Server This is just one of the many checks that our Daily Checkup and Quickscan Report from Stedman Solutions will report on. In SQL Server, Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) is a valuable feature that provides encryption at the file level. It’s an essential tool for ensuring that your data is secure and inaccessible to unauthorized users, especially if the physical media is compromised. However, the power of TDE comes with a …

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Understanding the Causes of SQL Server Performance Issues As a seasoned SQL Server expert and the owner of Stedman Solutions, LLC, I’ve encountered a myriad of reasons why a SQL Server database might be running slower than expected. In my experience, identifying and addressing the root cause of performance issues is crucial for maintaining an efficient and reliable database system. Here, I’ll share some common reasons for SQL Server sluggishness, drawing from my extensive background and the insights gained from …

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SQL Auto Close is just one of the many checks that our Daily Checkup and Quickscan Report from Stedman Solutions will report on. Understanding the Impact of SQL Server AutoClose Setting on Performance The SQL Server AutoClose database setting, when enabled, can significantly impact the performance of your database. Below are key reasons why: 1. Resource Overhead When the AutoClose setting is enabled, SQL Server will shut down the database after the last user disconnects. This means that every time …

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February: The Month of Performance at Stedman Solutions! February is here, and at Stedman Solutions, LLC, we’re declaring it Performance Month! As a seasoned expert in SQL Server since 1990, I’m excited to share exclusive opportunities this month to turbocharge your SQL Server’s performance. Here are three pivotal ways you can participate in Performance Month with Stedman Solutions: 1. Free Email Course on Performance Tuning Kick off Performance Month with our free email course on SQL Server performance tuning. This …

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Top 10 SQL Server Wait Types for Performance Tuning Understanding these wait types is key to identifying performance bottlenecks in SQL Server: CXPACKET: Indicates parallelism-related waits. High values suggest inefficiencies in query parallelization. LCK_M_XX: Lock waits (e.g., LCK_M_S, LCK_M_U) signal queries waiting for resource locks, pointing to potential blocking or deadlocking. PAGEIOLATCH_XX: Wait times due to disk I/O operations, indicating possible disk subsystem bottlenecks. SQLCLR: Associated with Common Language Runtime operations. High waits might indicate issues with CLR stored procedures …

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