SQL Server 2019 brings a new function that partly replaces DBCC PAGE. I compare the old and the new way to read page information with a small demo.
SQL SERVER – Identify Version of SQL Server from Backup File
A client had backups from four SQL Server versions with the same names. Here is how to identify version of SQL Server from a backup file.
Database Sharding – How to Identify a Shard Key?
Picking the shard key is the hardest part of Database Sharding. Here are the guiding principles I shared at a user group for choosing a good one.
SQL SERVER – How to View the Dirty Pages In Memory of a Database?
A GIDS attendee asked me how to tell which pages are dirty right now. Here is how to view the dirty pages in Memory for any database.
SQL SERVER – Beginning of SQL Server Architecture – Terminology
Beginning SQL Server Architecture: my friend Anil Kumar explains the basic terms and the main parts, the Relational Engine, Storage Engine and SQL OS.
SQL Server for Oracle DBAs: The Vocabulary
SQL Server for Oracle DBAs translates instance, database, schema, tablespace, undo, and redo without pretending the two architectures are identical.
SQL SERVER – Generic Architecture Image
A Generic Architecture image of SQL Server I found on Wikipedia, with a short note on physical storage in MDF and LDF files and how data is grouped logically.