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“.

Feb23

SQL SERVER – How to Start SQL Server Service Without tempdb?

Pinal Dave

SQL Tips and Tricks

SQL Scripts, SQL Server, SQL TempDB

Before I start explaining the situation, I got into while experimenting with the SQL Server instance on my machine, let me air a word of caution – Please DONOT try this on your production environments. Unless you want to grab unwanted attention from your seniors, this is not something I would want you to ever experiment. In a recent configuration change on my local instance, I was facing an unique issue as I was standing in front of an audience for a SQL Server based session. Rarely does it happen that I get into Murphy’s law of demo not working in front of an audience because I carry multiple backups. Interestingly, this time when I tried to connect to the SQL Server using SSMS, it just refused to connect. I was completely taken aback and what happened after that is a different story about how to start SQL Server Service.

Feb22

SQL SERVER – Scripting Tip: PowerShell to Identify Last Bootup Time

Pinal Dave

SQL Tips and Tricks

Powershell, SQL Scripts, SQL Server

I know I have been fortunate to write back-to-back on topics around SQL Server. I get a number of you do take time in writing down to me over emails, comments and even sometimes over Skype pings. I see every such mail as an opportunity to learn something from you for sure. One of my friends from the networking team pinged me to check if I knew a query about the last bootup time he had:

Feb21

Interview Question of the Week #059 – What are the Limitations of User Defined Functions (UDF) ?

Pinal Dave

SQL Interview Questions and Answers

SQL Function, SQL Server

Interview Question of the Week – What are the Limitations of User Defined Functions (UDF) ? Let us learn about that in today’s blog post.

Feb20

SQL SERVER – Starting Up Database – Why Multiple Times in Errorlog?

Pinal Dave

SQL Tips and Tricks

SQL Error Messages, SQL Log, SQL Scripts, SQL Server

Fixing error messages is something which keeps me energized because there is something challenging that is put in front of me. I know these can be frustrating times working on errors, but they also make you learn more about the product and make you better. My day life includes creating demo’s for sessions and learning new techniques that will enhance my knowledge. One of the days I started my machine and immediately connected to my SSMS environment to just see that it was taking unusually longer than expected time to get the instance up and ready. Let us see blog post about Starting Up Database.

My instinct was to scan through the ERRORLOG, I found the below series of messages.

Feb19

SQL SERVER – Updating Data into ColumnStore Index with SQL Server 2012

Pinal Dave

SQL Performance

ColumnStore Index, SQL Index, SQL Scripts, SQL Server

Off late I have been writing tons of content working with SQL Server 2016. Some of the cool capabilities was to introduce the ability to update a ColumnStore index. This was also covered in the SQL SERVER 2016: Updating Non-Clustered ColumnStore Index Enhancement earlier. One of the readers asked me an interesting question about being inside SQL Server 2012 and they wanted to write / update their data on the ColumnStore enabled system and what was the process for them. The email started saying they were getting the following error.

Feb18

SQL SERVER – Attaching and Restoring Database in Clustering Generates An Error – Notes from the Field #115

Pinal Dave

SQL Tips and Tricks

AlwaysOn, Notes from the Field, SQL Server, SQL Server Cluster

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[Notes from Pinal]: In my career, I have seen many database experts who are great with what they do, but when they have to work with clustering or AlwaysOn solutions, they usually avoid it. The reason is that there are not many experts who know this subject well enough. One thing I always personally felt that the documentation is also not widely available when it is about clustering. If one receives some error, they are usually lost. This is when I reached out to Eduardo and asked him what can we do to if we face error while attaching or restoring database in clustering environment in SQL Server.

Feb17

SQL SERVER – FIX Error 18456, Severity: 14, State: 6. Login failed for user

Pinal Dave

SQL Tips and Tricks

SQL Connection, SQL Error Messages, SQL Log, SQL Server

One of the blog which I wrote earlier was also on Login failed for user with state 58. Let us see how to FIX Error 18456.

After reading that blog, one of the blog reader contacted me and told that she is getting state 6. I thought this error are very common and is important to demystify some of the reasons for the same. I have asked completed error message to assist him. Here is the message she shared:

Error: 18456, Severity: 14, State: 6.

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 92 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.