Author: Steve Stedman

Understanding sys.dm_os_schedulers in SQL Server One of the most critical aspects of SQL Server Performance tuning is understanding how resources, especially CPU cores, are used. The sys.dm_os_schedulers dynamic management view (DMV) provides insights into SQL Server’s schedulers, which represent logical CPUs, and how they manage tasks. This post explores the details of sys.dm_os_schedulers, what it reveals about SQL Server’s internal scheduling processes, and how you can use it to troubleshoot performance bottlenecks. What is sys.dm_os_schedulers? SQL Server relies on a …

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Understanding MAXDOP SQL Server Settings: What They Are and How They Work In SQL Server, optimizing query performance often requires fine-tuning the MAXDOP (Maximum Degree of Parallelism) setting. If you’ve come across discussions about max degree of parallelism in SQL Server, you might wonder what it is, how it works, and why it matters. This blog post explains the essentials of MAXDOP, how it impacts query execution, and the best practices for configuring it in your SQL Server environment. What …

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Understanding SQL Server Cost Threshold for Parallelism When tuning SQL Server for performance, one important configuration setting is the Cost Threshold for Parallelism. This setting directly affects when SQL Server decides to execute a query in parallel, potentially speeding up large operations or, if misconfigured, overloading system resources. In this post, we’ll explore what the Cost Threshold for Parallelism is, how it works, and best practices for configuring it in your SQL Server environment. What is Cost Threshold for Parallelism? …

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Understanding SQL Server Isolation Levels: Choosing the Right One for Your Needs SQL Server isolation levels are a crucial part of managing database transactions. They control how transactions interact with each other, particularly regarding locking behavior, data visibility, and concurrency. By adjusting the isolation level, you can fine-tune the balance between data consistency and performance to match your specific application needs. Let’s explore each isolation level in SQL Server, how they impact your transactions, and best-use cases for each. 1. …

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