Query sys.dm_db_stats_histogram to inspect statistics steps, compare stored estimates with data, and identify values beyond the last step.
SQL SERVER – How to Abort Index Rebuilding After Specific Time?
An index rebuilding limit can control lock waiting or a resumable execution interval. I decide which behavior the maintenance window needs.
COL_NAME Function in SQL Server: Get a Column Name by ID
The COL_NAME function returns a column’s name when you give it a table’s object ID and the column’s ID. This post uses it to turn the column IDs in index views into names, shows why a column ID is not a position once a column has been dropped, and explains the trap that returns a wrong name when the table lives in another database.
Measure Page Splits in SQL Server With T-SQL
To measure page splits in SQL Server, read the Page Splits/sec counter twice and subtract the first reading from the second. This post loads a table with sequential keys and another with random keys, so you can see which splits are normal and which cost you. It also names the index behind the splits and shows how a lower fill factor removes most of them.
Finding Which Indexes Use a Custom Fill Factor Setting
Find indexes with a custom fill factor, compare their page counts, and review one rebuild without changing the server-wide setting.
Row and Page Compression: Estimating Savings Before You Compress
Estimate row and page compression savings per index and partition, then compare storage, CPU, reads, and maintenance before deployment.
SQL Server Performance Mistakes: Three Checks to Run Today
SQL Server performance mistakes hide in the settings, the files and the code. This post checks four server settings, shows poor file growth and its fix, and measures two code mistakes, a function on an indexed column and a data type mismatch, in logical reads.