Install AdventureWorks and WideWorldImporters once, the right way. Which file to download for your SQL Server, where to put it so the service account can read it, the RESTORE FILELISTONLY step, restore scripts for T-SQL, SSMS, Docker and Linux, and the five errors people email me about. Every command was run on SQL Server 2025.
The Migration of a Row: Tagged, Followed, Found Again
I followed the migration of a row through SQL Server 2025, from the first write to the grave. The log gets there before the table. The delete does not erase anything. And when the table is empty and the ghost is gone, the statistics histogram still names the row in full.
Y2K: The Work Behind “Nothing Happened”
Y2K did not end in worldwide disaster. Its repairs, failures, and recoveries show why, and what database teams can learn about proving maintenance matters.
Every Database Has These Seven Tables
Walk into any company, open the production database, and you will find the same seven tables. Nobody planned it, and I have personally created four of them.
Finding the Root Cause of Slow Queries
Finding the root cause of slow queries starts by separating work from waits, then testing theories against plans and history.
Using Historical Data to Confirm Performance Improvements
Using historical data to confirm performance improvements turns a fast test into evidence the business can defend.
Single-Query Tuning Versus Workload Tuning
Single-query tuning versus workload tuning decides whether one fast victory becomes a durable performance improvement.