When should you use sort_in_tempdb for rebuilding indexes? A DBA asked me in a Health Check, and the simple answer is when TempDB sits on fast, separate drives.
SQL SERVER – Unable to Uninstall – Index was Outside the Bounds of the Array
My machine crashed mid-install, and uninstalling SQL Server 2017 then failed with: Index was outside the bounds of the array. This is how I cleaned it up.
SQL SERVER – Optimize Key Lookup by Creating Index with Include Columns
A query slowed to over 10 minutes because of a big key lookup. Here is how I optimize key lookup operations by creating an index with include columns.
Does Sort Order in Index Column Matters for Performance? – Interview Question of the Week #199
Does the sort order in an index column matter for performance? Yes, in some specific scenarios, and here is an example from a recent Health Check question.
SQL SERVER – The Older Way to Find Size of Index Using Deprecated sysindexes
Reader Wilfred van Dijk pointed out that the deprecated sysindexes finds index size more easily than the new DMVs. So here is that older way to find index size.
How to Find Size of the Index for Tables? – Interview Question of the Week #198
How do you find the size of the index for tables? A client asked me during a Health Check, and this script lists schema, table, index and size in KB and MB.
SQL SERVER – Parallelism for Heap Scan
Two DBAs asked me if their table needed a clustered index. Our conversation during a Health Check turned into a lesson on parallelism for Heap Scan.