Identify blocking problems
How to recognise a blocking problem, set up the collection of blocked process reports, and send the files for analysis.
Tag: SQL Server
A complete guide to SHRINK in SQL Server
How to reduce the size of a SQL Server database file properly: good practice, sizing, an incremental strategy, and automation with dbatools.
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8 minute read
Basic Availability Groups in Standard edition
The Standard edition of SQL Server offers one high availability solution: Basic Availability Groups. Here are their benefits and their limits.
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Always On: mastering the timeouts
Lease Timeout, HealthCheck, Quorum… Configure the SQL Server and WSFC thresholds to stabilize your high availability.
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Several SQL Server instances on one server
Consolidating SQL Server instances is better than installing several of them on the same server.
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Remote SQL Server Audit
Remote SQL Server audit: report, SQL commands and three to five priorities within five working days, with no consultant access to your network.
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12 minute read
Basic counters
Windows and SQL Server counters to monitor: CPU, disk latency, buffer cache hit ratio, page life expectancy, transactions and batches per second.
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Order a remote SQL Server audit
Order a remote SQL Server audit without a preliminary call. Provide the audit scope and the details needed for invoicing.
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2 minute read
Example audit report
A real SQL Server audit report, anonymised, as it is delivered: the measurements, the findings, the recommendations and the questions put to the client.
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29 minute read
Monitoring with PRTG
Configure PRTG to monitor SQL Server with the PerfCounter Custom sensor: counter syntax, units, and computing the buffer cache hit ratio.
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Analyzing the Query Store with an AI agent
Let Claude Code or Codex analyze the Query Store through sqlcmd, with a login that reads the Query Store but not the tables, or on a clone without data.
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21 minute read
Query Store capture modes
What separates the ALL, AUTO, CUSTOM and NONE Query Store capture modes, with the AUTO thresholds measured on SQL Server 2019, 2022 and 2025.
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8 minute read
What the Query Store records
What the Query Store keeps about a query and what it leaves out: missing statements, interrupted executions, losses after a hard shutdown.
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8 minute read
SQL Server string statistics
The string summary of a SQL Server statistics object, decoded: a sample of strings stored in a trie, how it estimates LIKE predicates, and what bypasses it.
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30 minute read
Updating SQL Server: CUs, GDRs and servicing branches
The SQL Server servicing model since 2017: choosing between the CU branch and the GDR branch, reading a build number, finding the right update and applying it.
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12 minute read
SQL Server transaction log backups: why and how
Why a database in the FULL recovery model needs log backups, what VM backups do not replace, and how to restore to a precise point in time.
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11 minute read
SARGability of WHERE clauses
Why functions in your WHERE clauses stop SQL Server from using your indexes, and how to rewrite your queries to get performance back.
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7 minute read
Managing the SQL Server Transaction Log
A transaction log filling up the disk is a classic DBA problem. Learn how to diagnose blocking issues and properly configure your recovery models.
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5 minute read
SQL Server Parallelism: Configuring MAXDOP and Cost Threshold
SQL Server’s default parallelism settings are often the cause of slowdowns. Configure MAXDOP and Cost Threshold (CTFP) to optimize your performance.
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9 minute read
SQL Server memory consumption
Understanding SQL Server’s memory management behavior for system administrators accustomed to other platforms
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7 minute read