These index design rules came from a client’s list of ten index don’ts, and readers argued with several of them. This post turns the checkable rules into read-only queries on a demo database, and it measures what each rule really costs. The rest are warnings, not laws, and the post says which is which.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
DISABLE_PARAMETER_SNIFFING Hint: Turn Off Sniffing for One Query
The DISABLE_PARAMETER_SNIFFING hint makes one query ignore the parameter value it was first compiled for. This post compares it with the default, OPTIMIZE FOR UNKNOWN and RECOMPILE on a table where one customer owns 40 percent of the rows. The reads show which variant fits which workload.
OPTION FAST N: First Rows Sooner, Total Reads Higher
OPTION FAST N tells SQL Server to plan for the first N rows, so the first rows arrive in milliseconds and the whole result costs much more. This post measures both sides on 300,000 rows with logical reads and time to the first row. It also explains why the hint belongs to paging and not to tuning.
Reasons for Slow Performance in SQL Server: The Top Five
The reasons for slow performance in SQL Server fall into five groups: schema design, T-SQL code, indexing, server deployment and hardware. This post tests three of them on a demo database, with logical reads as proof. It also shows a query that checks four deployment settings.
What is the Replacement of DBCC DBREINDEX? – Interview Question of the Week #263
Question: What is the Replacement of DBCC DBREINDEX?
Answer: The answer to this question is very simple.
Here is the syntax:
SQL SERVER – Always On Listener Creation Failure – Enabling Object ProdListener Failed With Error 5
I have written a few blogs where I explained a few issues about the failure of listener creation failure in a cluster. Let us learn about it.
DISABLE_OPTIMIZER_ROWGOAL: How a Row Goal Changes the Plan
DISABLE_OPTIMIZER_ROWGOAL switches off a row goal, the optimizer’s bet that a query needs only a few rows, and TOP, FAST, IN and EXISTS all place that bet. This post reads the estimates behind it, shows how the plan shape changes, and shows when the bet fails. A covering index fixes the failure, and the hint does not.
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Who We Are
Pinal Dave is an SQL Server Performance Tuning Expert and independent consultant with over 24 years of hands-on experience. He holds a Masters of Science degree and numerous database certifications.
Pinal has authored 19 books and 125 Pluralsight courses. To freely share his knowledge and help others build their expertise, Pinal has also written more than 5,800 database tech articles on his blog at https://blog.sqlauthority.com.
Pinal is also a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer (CF-L1) and CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (CF-L2).
Nupur Dave is a social media enthusiast and an independent consultant. She primarily focuses on the database domain, helping clients build short and long-term multi-channel campaigns to drive leads for their sales pipeline.
Shaivi Pinalkumar Dave is a book author and a women’s artistic gymnast.

