The first video in our professional development series, led by Nupur Dave, is about how to avoid procrastination and stop putting things off.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
Query Store Hints: Fixing a Query Without Touching Its Code
Apply query store hints to a vendor query without code changes, verify failures and plan behavior, then clear the hint after the real fix.
Masked Values: What Dynamic Data Masking Does Not Hide
A masked column shows zeros, but a user with SELECT can still filter, sort and guess the real values. Here is the proof and the fix.
Does Column Order in CREATE TABLE Change How Rows Are Stored?
Someone wants to reorder columns to shrink rows. I measured it on SQL Server 2025, and the answer is mostly no, with one small exception worth knowing.
Reading Pending I/O Requests During a Storage Slowdown
Sample pending I/O requests during PAGEIOLATCH or WRITELOG stalls, map each request to a file, and share timed evidence.
Finding Which Database Uses the Most CPU on a Shared Instance
Find which database uses the most CPU from cached query stats and plan attributes, then use Query Store for restart-safe history.
Pluralsight Author Summit 2013: A Truly Amazing Experience
The Pluralsight Author Summit in Salt Lake City was three days of learning and networking with authors who all love to share knowledge. Here is my recap of the sessions, the dinners, the management talks and the last day at a ski resort, with the photographs.
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.
Want your whole team to learn it?
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.
Over 400 customers have worked with me this way, and not one shared a password. See all consulting options.