Configure long-term backup retention in Azure SQL Database, inspect retained recovery points, restore a separate copy, and review costs.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
Performance Comparison – IN vs BETWEEN – SQL in Sixty Seconds #127
Yesterday I blogged about SQL SERVER – Performance Comparison – BETWEEN, IN, and Operators. Following that, I got many emails about the topic.
BETWEEN vs IN in SQL Server: Which One Reads Less?
BETWEEN vs IN looks like a style choice, and it is not. This post builds a demo table and measures BETWEEN, the two operators and an IN list with and without an index. It shows that BETWEEN and the operators share one plan, that IN seeks once for every value and that sparse values change the question.
SQL SERVER – Unicode Storage and UTF8 Version Limits
nchar and nvarchar are usual types for Unicode character strings in SQL Server. Reader questions prompted my datatype summary.
Varchar vs Nvarchar – Storing Non-English Characters – SQL in Sixty Seconds #126
Let us learn how to store non-English Characters in SQL Server tables. You will learn in this video the major difference between VARCHAR and NVARCHAR.
SQL SERVER – Storing a Non-English String in Table – Unicode Strings
Yesterday I had a meeting with my client Performance Health Check, and they wanted to know how to store a non-English string in a table.
How to Get Volume Mount Point for SQL Server Files? – Interview Question of the Week #295
Question: How to Get Volume Mount Point for SQL Server Files?
Answer: I was asked this question by my client during the recent Health Check.
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.
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.

