Inspect temp table statistics across procedure calls, compare estimates with loaded rows, and test targeted refresh and recompile fixes.
Estimated vs Actual Rows: The First Thing to Read in a Plan
Read estimated vs actual rows in execution plans, find where the first gap appears, and investigate statistics, parameters, and predicates.
Sample Databases for Practicing Performance Tuning
Use sample databases for practicing performance tuning by checking data volume and skew, then enlarging the right tables carefully.
What Is tempdb, and Why Everyone Shares It
tempdb is one scratch database shared by every database on the instance. The three kinds of thing that land in it, why it is rebuilt at every restart, and the reason its file count keeps coming up.
Table Partitioning Is Not Sharding: What Partitioning Really Gives You
See why partitioning is not sharding, build monthly partitions, inspect elimination, and switch a month out for simpler data management.
SQL Server on a Virtual Machine: What Actually Changes
SQL Server on a virtual machine cannot see the host it is sharing. Why more virtual processors can be slower, what memory reservation buys you, why snapshots are not backups, and the four things I check first.
TechEd India 2013 Bangalore and Pune: A Photo Journey
TechEd India 2013 Bangalore and Pune was my fifth TechEd and fourth as a speaker: four sessions in two cities, on performance troubleshooting and indexes, told in photos.