Which query runs faster, one with IN or one with OR? Here is my performance comparison IN vs OR on AdventureWorks, and both turn out equal.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
DATE_CORRELATION_OPTIMIZATION: Helping Joins on Related Dates
SQL Server can learn that an order date and a ship date move together. Here is a small demo of the read savings and the trade you accept.
SQL SERVER – How to Fix CONVERT_IMPLICIT Warnings?
CONVERT_IMPLICIT warnings are one of the most common performance issues I find in health checks. Here is how to find them in your queries and how to fix them.
How to Find Cardinality or Uniqueness for any Column? – Interview Question of the Week #177
What is Cardinality, and how do you find it for a column? This simple script shows the percentage of unique values, using an AdventureWorks table.
Find Memory Used by Each Database in SQL Server
To see the memory used by each database, count its pages in the buffer pool with sys.dm_os_buffer_descriptors. This post builds a small demo database, shows buffer and dirty page sizes before and after a checkpoint, explains the row with no name, and covers what the buffer pool numbers leave out, such as the plan cache.
SQL SERVER – Install Error: Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS) Cluster Verification Errors – Part 3
Part 3: one more reason SQL Server setup can fail the MSCS cluster verification errors rule during install or AddNode, as seen at a client, and the fix.
SQL SERVER – How to Know Transaction Isolation Level for Each Session?
An outsourced app had teams using different coding standards, and performance suffered. Here is how to find the transaction isolation level of each session.
SQL Server slow? Let's fix it together in about four hours.
In my Comprehensive Database Performance Health Check, you share your screen, I guide you, and we fix your biggest performance troublemakers. No passwords. No remote access.
You keep every script, and the know-how to fix it yourself next time.
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My Practical Workshop has no PowerPoint, just live demos. My AI Enablement Workshop shows your team where AI saves hours, and where it quietly costs them.
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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.

