Diagnose ascending key estimates with histogram boundaries, modification counts, and controlled comparisons before updating statistics.
How to Create an Empty Table and Fool Optimizer to Believe It Contains Data? – Interview Question of the Week #204
How do you create an empty table and fool the optimizer into thinking it has data? Nobody asked me that in 20 years, but I use this trick in Health Checks.
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.
Do Index Reorganization Update Statistics? – Interview Question of the Week #196
Question: Do Index Reorganization Update Statistics?
Answer: No. Index Reorganization does not update Statistics of your database.
Asynchronous Statistics Updates: When They Help and When They Hurt
Evaluate asynchronous statistics updates against compile latency, data-change timing, and low-priority metadata locking in SQL Server.
Local Variable Estimates: Why the Density Vector Wins
Understand local variable estimates with skewed data, density calculations, parameter comparisons, and targeted OPTION RECOMPILE tests.
SQL SERVER – FIX: Arithmetic Overflow Error in Object Execution Statistics Report in Management Studio
The SSMS Object Execution Statistics report suddenly failed for a client with Msg 8115, arithmetic overflow converting to int. Here is why and what to do.