Dear SQL DBA
Episodes
Erik Darling and Kendra Little talk AI, SQL Server 2025, and the Future Is Text Files
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Erik Darling joins Kendra to chat about AI tools, why they work better for Python and PowerShell than SQL, and what's exciting (and what's not) in SQL...
Erik Darling and Kendra Little Rate SQL Server Perf Tuning Techniques
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Erik Darling joins Kendra Little to rate different SQL Server Performance Tuning Techniques in episode 81 of the Dear SQL DBA podcast. We share our op...
Power BI Performance Tuning with Eugene Meidinger
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eugene Meidinger stops by to chat about Power BI Performance Tuning with Kendra. We talk about the various engines and languages used in Power BI and ...
Automated Deployments and the Art of the Database with Database Michael J Swart
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Michael J Swart joins the Dear SQL DBA podcast to talk about databases, automation, and how he's come to illustrate some of the coole...
Jer and Kendar Explore Optimized Locking
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
SQL Server has a new feature that's currently only available in Azure SQL Database: Optimized Locking. Jeremiah Peschka joins the podcast to talk thr...
Advice for Technical Leaders with Alex Robson
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wondered what it's like to be a VP or Director of Engineering? Kendra chats with Alex Robson about leadership in technology, what you can get out...
Erik Darling on Performance Tuning
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
SQL Server performance tuning expert Erik Darling joins the podcast today to chat about how good queries can go bad, how bad queries can get better, a...
What's up with Tech Interviews in 2023? With Jeremiah Peschka.
11 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tech interviews are weird and wacky. How did they get this way, and how SHOULD they be? Jeremiah Peschka joins us to discuss.
Data Roles: DBA, DBRE, and Data Engineer
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are lots of jobs for data folks. In this episode, I'm discussing three hot job titles: Database Administrator (DBA), Database Reliability Engine...
When NOT to choose SQL Server to store your data
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I wrote a blog post inspired by Stephen Vakil's excellent suggested interview question, but I inverted it: When should you NOT choose SQL Server to st...
Down Tools Week 2020
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's Down Tools Week at Redgate. I share what "Down Tools Week" is, what I'm working on this week, and why I think it's a terrific experience for fost...
3 Things That Shouldn't Be Normal in Database Development
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Many people use entrenched processes for database development that have been in place so long that it's hard to imagine doing it any other way. In thi...
Everything I Never Wanted to Know about Collation
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I'm not an expert on collation in SQL Server, but there are a few important facts which I've had to learn the hard way. In this episode I share the ba...
The Manager's Guide to Git Training for DBAs
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learning Git can be daunting for DBAs. In this 20 minute episode, I discuss why learning a VCS is necessary for DBAs, then give three tips on scoping ...
How Do Developers and DBAs Collaborate in a DevOps World?
12 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You're a DBA, and your development team is all-in on doing DevOps, and they want to include the database. Should your DBA team limit the permissions o...
What a Software Evangelist Does - and Where the Job is Going
29 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
I've been working as an 'Evangelist' at Redgate for close to six months now, and one question keeps coming up: what exactly does an Evangelist do at a...
DBA Jobs: Threats and Opportunities
17 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jobs change over time, and database administrator jobs are no different. In this 35 minute recorded Twitch livestream (my first ever!) I talk about th...
DevOps Terms - and Why They Matter to Database Specialists
02 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this session, I discuss scrum, continuous deployment, test driven development, DevOps, and related concepts. I close with a quick discussion of why...
Employee Agreements & Contracts - Best Practices
29 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
So you've got an employee agreement in front of you: now what? In this 23 minute episode, I talk about practical steps you should take to make sure th...
Employee Agreements & Contracts for DBAs & Developers - Anti-Patterns
11 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When you take a new job in software engineering or in IT, within the paperwork there often lurks an employee agreement: a contract between you and you...
Remembering Robert Davis, DBA Hero
01 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a person a DBA Hero? In this episode, I talk about how Robert Davis made a huge impact on the SQL Server community, and the traits that Rob...
Why Don't You Teach Service Broker?
19 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I've gotten a few questions about whether I recommend learning Service Broker, and recently I was asked if I'm planning to make any courses on Service...
Training Resources for SQL Noobs
13 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
New to learning SQL Server? Get the scoop on free online resources to look up information, ask questions of community members, and learn SQL Server fr...
Dealing With a Lack of Control as a DBA
18 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week I discuss a question that I've gotten in many forms over the years - a lot of the scenarios are so specific that it's hard to keep them anon...
Do DBAs Need College Degrees?
03 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Our question this week comes from someone who's excited to be on a healthy career path, building their work experience as a DBA. They're worried: will...
How Do I Prepare for Certification Exams?
23 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about how to strategize for and prepare for Microsoft Certification exams, using the Database Fundamentals exam as an example.
I Want to Work for Myself
05 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Our question this week comes from an IT pro who would like to be self-employed. In this episode, I talk about three big things you need to think about...
Auto-Tuning and the #1 Mindset Problem I had as a DBA
01 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A few folks have asked: will auto-tuning and adaptive query plans mean the end of performance tuning jobs in SQL Server? In this week's episode, I tal...
Slowing Down Your Motor Mouth - Presentation Tips for Fast Talkers
17 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Are you worried that you talk too fast when you give a speech, talk, or presentation? Is fear being a fast-talker one of the concerns that keeps you f...
I Thought I Was An Introvert. Turns Out I Was Anxious as #@*(
08 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, I'm not answering a reader's question. Instead, I'm talking about my personal experience with anxiety. This episode touches on...
The Death of SQL Server Service Packs
05 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
SQL Server Service Packs are going away, starting with SQL Server 2017. I talk about why I think this is a good thing, and discuss Cumulative Updates,...
Love and Hate for SSMS
28 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
People have strong feelings about SQL Server Management Studio: they love it AND they hate it. In this week's episode, I talk about why people have su...
How Do I Analyze a SQL Server Execution Plan?
22 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A query is slow, and you figure out how to collect the query execution plan. Now what? In this episode I talk "big picture" about what execution plans...
Do I Need to Master PowerShell?
12 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
As a SQL Server DBA, do you need to be a killer with scripts? In this episode I talk about how much you need to know about PowerShell, and examples of...
SQL PASS Summit 2017: Why I'm Excited, and Tips on Attending
07 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I'll be attending and presenting at the SQL PASS Summit in Seattle Washington this year from Oct 31-Nov 3. In this week's episode, I share why I'm exc...
How Do You Stay Motivated?
31 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Over the years, readers have asked me: "How do you stay motivated?" Sticking with a learning plan, blogging, or becoming a public speaker isn't easy. ...
"I faked my resume... now what?"
24 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week's question from a reader: how do I deal with interview questions asking about real-world scenarios when I've faked three years of experience...
Interview Advice from the SQL Server Community
17 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about three articles written by members of the SQL Server community on interviewing that I can't stop thinking about: "Playing...
Interview Patterns and Anti-Patterns
08 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Hear the story of an interview where my dreams were crushed - and what I learned about interviewing from the experience.
Which Queries are Causing my Wait Stats?
25 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
You've got some troubling wait stats in SQL Server. How can you tell which queries are causing those waits? Kendra discusses the pros and cons of dif...
Removing Query Hints with Plan Guides
18 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
If you need to add, remove, or replace hints from ad-hoc queries and you can't change the code, plan guides can help. See a demo of removing hints fro...
Batch Mode Hacks in SQL Server
11 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Learn what batch mode is in SQL Server, and how you can trick SQL Server into using it (even without a "real" columnstore index). For clickable links ...
Should I Get Certified as a DBA?
04 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Find out if getting certified will help you land an entry level DBA job, and if you do want to get certified, get Kendra's tips on preparing for the e...
How Does a DBA Build Confidence After Making Mistakes?
27 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ever had a database change go horribly wrong? It can feel awful in the moment, then eat away at your confidence for days afterward. In this 20 minute ...
Are Bad Statistics Making My Query Slow?
20 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
An important query is suddenly slow. Is it because statistics are out of date? This is tricky to figure out, and updating statistics right away can ma...
Index Maintenance and Performance
13 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
They made their index maintenance job smarter, and their queries got slower in production afterward. Could the index maintenance have harmed performan...
Lock Timeouts & Memory
06 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The dev server got bogged down during a deployment and lock timeouts were everywhere. Was the perfmon counter way off about how much memory was being ...
Why is my Transaction Log Growing in My Availability Group?
30 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A database transaction log is expanding, even though the DBA is running log backups and doesn't see an open transaction? What's going on with this Ava...
When SQL Server Does NOT Use Write Ahead Logging
23 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A few episodes ago, I talked about how learning about Write Ahead Logging was a light bulb moment for me, and helped me learn tons of concepts about b...
Using a Tail Log Backup in a SQL Server Migration
16 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When you migrate a database, it can be useful to prove that you moved all the data and didn't miss any transactions. Learn how to use a tail log backu...
Stack Dumps in SQL Server
09 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Learn what a Stack Dump is in SQL Server. Hear what happens when Kendra causes a stack dump against a test SQL Server instance under load. Learn how ...
WAL: The concept that makes recovery models & backups make sense
02 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When you're a Junior DBA, it's really hard to take in all the information out there. Learn about write ahead logging: the concept that can help you ma...
Will the Cloud Eat My DBA Job?
23 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Will cloud services render DBAs obsolete? Does the cloud mean that developers will use less of SQL Server? Kendra talks about the future of database a...
Confused by sp_Who2
16 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Learn why the output from the built-in procedure sp_who2 can be so confusing, how to get more information, and free tools that can make it easier to ...
Should I Learn Full-Text Indexing?
09 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Learn where full-text search shines, a common problem which full-text search does NOT solve, where full-text can run into performance problems.
Index Types: Heaps, Primary Keys, Clustered and Nonclustered Indexes
02 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Learn the difference between heaps, clustered and nonclustered indexes, primary keys, and columnstore indexes in SQL Server.
What's that Garbage in my Execution Plan?
26 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Learn how to approach the unexpected in a mysterious execution plan that contains way more operators than expected for a very simple SQL Server query.
Why You Should Switch in Staging Tables Instead of Renaming Them
19 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Performing a switcharoo between new and old tables can cause blocking nightmares. Partition switching may help, surprisingly even on non-partitioned t...
Limiting Downtime for Schema Changes in SQL Server
15 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
You need to release schema changes while the SQL Server is in use. Learn why code generation tools write odd scripts and how to stay sane amid rapid r...
Signs Your SQL Server is Running with Scissors
01 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Does your team know what it's doing with SQL Server? Learn what a consultant looks for when assessing a team, and signs that SQL Server may be badly c...
Why is My Query Faster on the Second Run?
24 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The first time you test a query it's slow, but when you run it again, it's much faster. Learn how SQL Server uses memory to make the second run much f...
Should I Upgrade to SQL Server 2016?
17 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Learn why SQL Server 2016 SP1 is a game changer, and how to take best advantage of all the cool features now in Standard and Web Editions.
What's Adaptive Query Processing?
03 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about new features to speed up SQL Server queries. Kendra talks about automatic index tuning and speculates about Adaptive Query Processing.
Where Do You Get Your Creativity? (Dear SQL DBA Episode 20)
20 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
As a database administrator or developer, you'll get into trouble fast if you try to force all your code and processes into a database shaped hole. Yo...
Should You Rebuild or Reorganize Large Indexes?
13 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The bigger your indexes are, the harder your index maintenance falls. Is it better to rebuild big indexes? Or should you reorganize? Learn the pros an...
Can I Use Statistics to Design Indexes?
06 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Should you look at automatically created statistics on your tables in SQL Server to help you design better indexes?
Setting up Free Blocking Alerts and Deadlock Monitoring
29 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What tools in SQL Server will notify you about blocking and help track the queries behind your toughest blocking and deadlocking problems?
Which is Worse: an Unused Index, or an Un-Indexed Foreign Key?
22 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Should you always index your foreign keys? What if you index them, and then the index never gets used?
Finding Your Voice as a Speaker
01 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Learn what it's like to find and develop your voice as a technical speaker in this week's episode.
Collect and Baseline Wait Statistics
25 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What are the best tools to collect and baseline wait statistics? Should you write your own?
Developer Seeks DBA Career
18 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A C# developer wants to be a DBA, but is having a hard time landing a job. Should they take a pay cut and go for a Junior level job? Or could there be...
Teach Yourself SQL Server Performance Tuning
11 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
You'd love to have a job tuning SQL Servers, but you don't have an environment to practice in. Here's how to teach yourself performance tuning and pr...
Altering an INT Column to a BIGINT
04 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
You need to change an INT column to a BIGINT in a large table. Learn why this schema change can make your transaction log explode, and how to avoid i...
Should I Automate Windows Updates for SQL Server?
28 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Your boss wants you to automate patching for your SQL Servers. Is that a good idea? How far should you take it? Find out a DBAs perspective.
Why Upgrades can Cause Performance Regression
21 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Learn what can cause performance regressions after migrating to a new SQL Server version, and how to troubleshoot it.
Max Degree of Confusion
14 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Learn how to configure the Max Degree of Parallelism and Cost Threshold for Parallelism settings in SQL Server - and about how SQL Server 2014 SP2 an...
How to Level Up Your DBA Career
07 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
You're a Junior or mid-level Database Administrator with no obvious career path. How do you grow the right skills to level up your DBA career?
Index Usage Stats Insanity
30 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
SQL Server's "index usage stats" dynamic management view is incredibly useful-- but does it tell you what you THINK it tells you? Kendra explains the ...
Fail Over, Fail Again, Fail Better - Preparing for Disaster Recovery
23 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
You're setting up SQL Server log shipping for disaster recovery. What else do you need to do to best prepare for a failure?
Outside the Big SAN Box
16 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
You believe that your expensive SAN is slowing down the SQL Server. How can you make your case without making enemies?
Next Door to Derpton
09 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do when your fellow DBA is a ticking time-bomb of bad decisions, waiting to explode your production environment?
Lost in Performance Troubleshooting
02 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The SQL Server is slow, what should you do? Kendra shares her strategy for performance troubleshooting.
Bleeding in Edgevile
25 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Kendra Little answers a question about early adoption of SQL Server, discusses why testing in production isn't necessarily crazy, and recommends how t...