Author: Steve Stedman

How to Monitor SQL Server Health: Best Practices and Tools Ensuring the health of your SQL Server is a cornerstone of maintaining robust database performance and preventing costly disruptions. Without proper monitoring, minor issues can escalate into major problems, such as performance bottlenecks or data loss, that impact your business operations. In this post, we’ll explore the best practices and essential tools to help you keep your SQL Server running smoothly and efficiently. The importance of proactive monitoring cannot be …

SQL Server Health Monitoring: Best Practices and Essential Tools Read more »

Understanding SQL Server Isolation Levels: Choosing the Right One for Your Needs When it comes to managing database transactions in SQL Server, understanding isolation levels is essential for striking the right balance between data consistency and system performance. Isolation levels determine how transactions interact with one another, influencing locking mechanisms and the visibility of data changes. Choosing the appropriate level can significantly impact the reliability and efficiency of your application, making it a critical decision for database administrators and developers …

SQL Server Isolation Levels Explained: How to Choose the Best for Your Needs Read more »

Welcome to April at Stedman Solutions, LLC! This month, we’re excited to announce that April is JOINS month, where all our promotions and activities will revolve around the fundamental concept of JOINs in SQL Server. Whether you’re a seasoned SQL professional or just starting out on your database journey, this is the perfect time to dive deeper into the power and versatility of JOINs. From eye-catching JOIN posters to cozy JOIN socks, and from comprehensive JOIN classes to much more, …

Join Types Read more »

Welcome to April at Stedman Solutions, LLC! This month, we’re excited to announce that April is JOINS month, where all our promotions and activities will revolve around the fundamental concept of JOINs in SQL Server. Whether you’re a seasoned SQL professional or just starting out on your database journey, this is the perfect time to dive deeper into the power and versatility of JOINs. From eye-catching JOIN posters to cozy JOIN socks, and from comprehensive JOIN classes to much more, …

April is Join Types Month Read more »

Index fragmentation is one of those performance issues that tends to creep in quietly. You may not notice it right away, but over time it can lead to slower queries, increased I/O, and overall degradation in performance. If your system feels like it is gradually slowing down without an obvious cause, fragmentation may be a part of the story. What is Index Fragmentation? At a high level, index fragmentation refers to how out of order the pages of an index …

Understanding Index Fragmentation in SQL Server (and How to Fix It) Read more »

Celebrating World Backup Day with Stedman’s SQL School: Unlock the Secrets of Efficient Backup and Recovery As we mark World Backup Day on March 31st, it’s a timely reminder of the critical importance of data backups in our increasingly digital world. In the realm of database management, particularly with SQL Server, the significance of having a reliable backup and recovery strategy cannot be overstated. Data is the lifeline of any organization, and the ability to recover it swiftly and accurately …

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You usually don’t notice a slow query right away. What you do notice is everything else starting to lag. Dashboards take longer to load, jobs start overlapping, and suddenly users are asking what changed. Long running queries are often at the center of that. The good news is they’re not hard to track down when you have the right visibility. In this post, we’ll walk through how to quickly spot them, understand their impact, and decide what to do next …

Finding Long Running Queries in SQL Server Read more »

Embrace Efficiency and Growth: The Integrated Power of Managed Services In today’s fast-evolving business landscape, organizations are constantly seeking ways to optimize their operations, scale efficiently, and ensure the robust management of their critical IT infrastructure. Stedman Solutions offers a suite of Managed Services designed to address these core needs, emphasizing the essential role of expert database administration in achieving business excellence. This consolidated blog post integrates insights from various discussions, outlining how Stedman Solutions empowers businesses through its comprehensive …

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In the ever-evolving landscape of database technologies, the battle between SQL and NoSQL continues to spark intense discussions among developers and businesses alike. While NoSQL databases have gained traction for their flexibility and scalability in handling unstructured data, SQL remains a cornerstone for many critical applications. Its enduring relevance stems from a robust foundation that prioritizes structure, reliability, and precision, making it a preferred choice in numerous scenarios. As someone who has navigated the intricacies of database management for years, …

SQL Still Shines: Advantages of SQL Over NoSQL Read more »