A demo script for keeping CPU busy: I wrote this query at an event to simulate high CPU usage, and it pushed CPU from 10% to 80%.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
SQLAuthority News – Uncut and Unedited Video Interview of Pinal Dave
Lohith from Bangalore took my Uncut and Unedited video interview, with a few personal questions, a few technical ones and a few secrets shared.
SQLAuthority News – Pinal Dave: Blogger, MVP and now Interviewee by Michael J Swart
Michael J Swart asked me about life beyond SQL Server, from family memories to writing in English. Read the original interview and see the caricature Michael created for it.
Wait Stats Summary: Every Wait on One Page
This wait stats summary puts every wait from the series on one page: what it means and the first fix to try. On Night 28 at the Clipboard Diner, the critic finally comes on an ordinary Tuesday. The lesson of the whole series is the same as the story’s: know what normal looks like on your server.
Wait Stats Troubleshooting: From Top Wait to First Fix
Wait stats troubleshooting comes down to one habit: find the top real wait, ask its first question, and try one fix. On Night 27 at the Clipboard Diner, Casey tapes a one-page chart to the fridge. Here is that chart for SQL Server, plus one query that shows your top waits with their share and signal percent.
Batch Mode Wait Stats: HTBUILD and Columnstore Waits
Batch mode wait stats such as HTBUILD and BPSORT show threads waiting for each other inside a parallel batch mode plan. On Night 26 at the Clipboard Diner, four cooks wait for one giant shared tray before 900 cookies can bake. Then I show when these waits are normal, when skew or spills make them a problem, and how to check them.
RESOURCE_SEMAPHORE Wait Stats: Memory Grant Waits
RESOURCE_SEMAPHORE wait stats mean a query is waiting for memory before it can even start. On Night 25 at the Clipboard Diner, a wedding party reserves the whole counter and two birthday parties wait. Then I show how to find waiting grants, why grants grow too big, and the fixes I try first.
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.

