How many pages does an index use, and how many B-Tree levels does it have? sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats shows index levels, page count and record count.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
SQL SERVER – View XML Query Plans in SSMS as Graphical Execution Plan
Want to share a graphical execution plan? Save it as a .sqlplan file and send it. Anyone can open it in SSMS without the tables or indexes behind it.
SQL SERVER – Parallelism – Row per Processor – Row per Thread
Do all processors handle an equal number of rows in a parallel query? The execution plan properties show the actual row per thread count, so you can check.
XML query: Keep the Selected Markup Intact
XML query retains selected markup and attributes. Distinguish an empty fragment from a missing document, and review the display type.
SUBSTRING Binary: Count Bytes Rather Than Characters
SUBSTRING binary offsets use byte units. Keep text slicing separate from encoded payload slicing and retain empty and missing cases.
SQL SERVER – Outer Join Not Allowed in Indexed Views
Why is OUTER JOIN not allowed in indexed views? A reader was confused by the white paper answer, so I explain it with an example and ask for yours.
SQLAuthority News – Exam 70-433 – MCTS – Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Database Development
I finally used my expiring Prometric voucher to take Exam 70-433, MCTS: SQL Server 2008 Database Development. Here is how it went at the test center.
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.

