SQL Server Performance Tuning Expert - SQL Authority with Pinal Dave

Is your SQL Server running slow and you want to speed it up without sharing server credentials? In my Comprehensive Database Performance Health Check, we can work together remotely and resolve your biggest performance troublemakers in less than 4 hours.

Once you learn my business secrets, you will fix the majority of problems in the future.

Have you ever opened any PowerPoint deck when you face SQL Server Performance Tuning emergencies? SQL Server Performance Tuning Practical Workshop is my MOST popular training with no PowerPoint presentations and 100% practical demonstrations.

Essentially I share my business secrets to optimize SQL Server performance.

An Index Reduces Performance of SELECT Queries (Video)
3 Common Mistakes to Kill SQL Server Performance (Video)
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For SQL Server Emergency Help, you can reach out to me at pinal@sqlauthority.com with words URGENT in the email subject line for other services mention “Comprehensive Database Performance Health Check“.

Jul2

SQL SERVER – Unable to cast object of type ‘System.DBNull’ to type ‘System.String’. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo)

Pinal Dave

SQL

SQL Error Messages, SQL Scripts, SQL Server

When you are driving on a highway, you look forward to the sign boards give you guidance while you are busy driving. These sign boards tell you when your exit is approaching and how you should be dealing with the same. I consider such sign boards inside SQL Server as “Error Messages”. I rely on them so heavily to give me insider information to a possible solution. Not always are these messages super easy to understand. Take for instance the following message. While trying to create a database on my lab server, I got below error related to System.DBNull:

Jul1

SQL SERVER – Script level upgrade for database master failed because upgrade step sqlagent100_msdb_upgrade.sql encountered error

Pinal Dave

SQL

SQL Error Messages, SQL Scripts, SQL Server

Sometimes I feel that one error can be caused due to multiple reasons and there are different ways to solve it. I already have two blogs for the error message. As they say, there are is no silver bullet when it comes to solving some of the issues. SQL Server might through a generic message, but it all lead to the same problem related to master database:

Jun30

How to Use Zip With SSIS? – Notes from the Field #130

Pinal Dave

SQL

Notes from the Field, SQL Server, SQL Utility, SSIS

[Note from Pinal]: This is a 130th episode of Notes from the Field series. In this episode we are going to learn something very simple but effective about SIS and Zip. This subject is not very much discussed about and hardly there are many information about this subject available. In this episode of the Notes from the Field series database expert Kevin Hazzard explains the how to use ZIP with SSIS. Read the experience of Kevin in his own words.

Jun29

SQL SERVER – Error Fix: Msg 13601 Working with JSON Structure

Pinal Dave

SQL

JSON, SQL Error Messages, SQL Server

As you new versions of SQL Server come, the amount of capabilities just increases exponentially. It is tough to keep up in pace with the innovations and learning that one needs to go through. I have in the past written few articles around working with JSON over the blogs earlier. These games of playing with the new capabilities will show up tons of errors as we are not completely aware of what is possible. These experiments lead you from learning to another.

Jun28

Recover Lost Data Using the Transaction Log Files

Pinal Dave

SQL

ApexSQL, SQL Log, SQL Scripts, SQL Server

Every now and then, experienced SQL Server DBAs as well as the SQL Server rookies find themselves in the unpleasant situation when some important data has been changed or lost with the monumental task to solve this in the most efficient way. Regardless of the change source – was it an internal or external user, the intent behind it – unintended mistake or a malicious change, or even the exact nature of the change – update, delete, drop or something else, database administrators are faced with the task to recover the lost data and enable users to continue using the database as if the recovery was never required by providing the data recovery. Let us learn about how to recover lost data using the transaction log files.

Jun27

SQL SERVER – FCB::Open failed: Could not open file Path for file number 2. OS error: 5(Access is denied.)

Pinal Dave

SQL

SQL Error Messages, SQL Server

I assume a number of times when the machine is booted up, I am most likely to hit the Management Studio to work on some script or the other. But sometimes strange things happen and I get all sorts of error. There might be tons of reasons why SQL Server is not able to start. This blog is a result of a quick consulting engagement with one of my clients where I faced OS error.

Jun26

Moving TempDB to New Drive – Interview Question of the Week #077

Pinal Dave

SQL Interview Questions and Answers

SQL Scripts, SQL Server, SQL TempDB

Midnight at 1 AM, I received a call from my customer where I have earlier worked on performance tuning project. As soon as I picked up the phone call the first statement from my friend was about TempDB and it was as follows:

“We should have followed your advice, the TempDB is full, now help us fix it.”

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 14 SQL Server database books and 104 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 an experienced and dedicated professional with a deep commitment to flawless customer service. If you need help with any SQL Server Performance Tuning Issues, please feel free to reach out at pinal@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.