Tag: dear-sql-dba

Erik Darling and Kendra Little Rate SQL Server Perf Tuning Techniques

By Kendra Little on May 20, 2024

Category: query-performance , sql-server

Erik Darling joins Kendra Little to rate different SQL Server Performance Tuning Techniques in episode 81 of the Dear SQL DBA podcast. We share our opinions of… (deep breath)

Recompile hints, Query Store hints and plan forcing, CTEs, Resource Governor, the legacy cardinality estimator, Table Variables, Automatic Plan Correction, Batch Mode, index rebuilds, Hekaton, NOLOCK, page compression, partitioning, filtered indexes, columnstore, join hints, PSPO, indexed hints, indexed views, optimize for unknown, RCSI, adding more memory, restarting the damn thing, scalar UDFs, and Persisted Memory Grant Feedback.

Power BI Performance Tuning with Eugene Meidinger

By Kendra Little on January 16, 2024

Category: tech-community

Tags: dear-sql-dba , eugene-meidinger , power-bi , podcast

Eugene Meidinger stops by the Dear SQL DBA Podcast to chat about Power BI Performance Tuning.

We talk about the various engines and languages used in Power BI and big-picture strategies for getting performance from the start. Eugene then talks about the community of tools and techniques that can be used to dig in and solve performance problems in Power BI.

Automated Deployments and the Art of the Database with Database Michael J Swart

By Kendra Little on September 26, 2023

Category: devops-automation

Tags: dear-sql-dba , podcast , michael-j-swart , database-devops , automation , deployments

In this episode, Michael J Swart joins the Dear SQL DBA Podcast to talk about databases, automation, and how he’s come to illustrate some of the coolest blog posts ever to be written about data.

Jer and Kendar Explore Optimized Locking

By Kendra Little on September 4, 2023

Category: query-performance , sql-server , azure-sql

Tags: dear-sql-dba , podcast , jeremiah-peschka , optimized-locking , locking , azure-sql-database

🔥 UPDATE (November 2025): Microsoft has introduced optimized locking v2 with significant improvements. The new version includes Skip Index Locks (SIL) and Query Plan LAQ Feedback Persistence, which further reduce lock overhead. The improvements are most pronounced for nonclustered indexes. Optimized locking v2 is available in SQL Server 2025 and Azure SQL.

SQL Server has a new feature that’s currently only available in Azure SQL Database: Optimized Locking.

Jeremiah Peschka joins Kendra (aka Kendar) to talk through the docs and nerd out on locks, blocks, and how to pronounce the acronym “LAQ”.

Prefer to explore optimized locking with a diagram? I’ve also got a little sketchnote for ya.

Dear SQL DBA - Advice for Technical Leaders with Alex Robson

By Kendra Little on August 31, 2023

Category: career

Tags: dear-sql-dba , alex-robson , leadership

Ever wondered what it’s like to be a VP or Director of Engineering? I chatted with Alex Robson about leadership in technology, what you can get out of coaching or an MBA program (should you be interested), and what makes a high performing team.

Alex’s site and blog: https://robsonconsulting.services

Dear SQL DBA - Performance Tuning with Erik Darling

By Kendra Little on August 18, 2023

Category: query-performance , sql-server

Tags: dear-sql-dba , erik-darling

SQL Server performance tuning expert Erik Darling joins the podcast today to chat about how good queries can go bad and how bad queries can get better.

He also answers the question on everyone’s mind: if he was a database, what database would he be?

Dear SQL DBA: Tech Interviews in 2023 With Jeremiah Peschka

By Kendra Little on August 11, 2023