Dear SQL DBA

Dear SQL DBA episodes:

• 01.15.2024

  Power BI Performance Tuning with Eugene Meidinger

  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 big-picture strategies for getting performance from the start. Eugene then talks about the community...

  
• 09.26.2023

  Automated Deployments and the Art of the Database with Database Michael J Swart

  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 coolest blog posts ever to be written about data. Check out Michael’s art and...

  
• 09.04.2023

  Jer and Kendar Explore Optimized Locking

  SQL Server has a new feature that’s currently only available in Azure SQL Database: Optimized Locking. Jeremiah Peschka joins the podcast to talk through the docs and nerd out on locks, blocks, and how to pronounce the acronym “LAQ”. Learn...

  
• 08.25.2023

  Advice for Technical Leaders with Alex Robson

  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 of coaching or an MBA program (should you be interested), and what makes...

  
• 08.21.2023

  Erik Darling on Performance Tuning

  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, and the question on everyone's mind: if he was a database, what database would...

  
• 08.11.2023

  What's up with Tech Interviews in 2023? With Jeremiah Peschka.

  Tech interviews are weird and wacky. How did they get this way, and how SHOULD they be? Jeremiah Peschka joins us to discuss.

  
• 08.04.2023

  Data Roles: DBA, DBRE, and Data Engineer

  There are lots of jobs for data folks. In this episode, I'm discussing three hot job titles: Database Administrator (DBA), Database Reliability Engineer (DBRE), and Data Engineer (DE) To see the venn diagrams I made for these roles, visit...

  
• 06.22.2023

  When NOT to choose SQL Server to store your data

  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 store your data? My thoughts: * When you don't actually need a database *...

  
• 08.05.2020

  Down Tools Week 2020

  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 fostering creativity, innovation, and teamwork. In closing I share some thoughts on...

  
• 07.23.2020

  3 Things That Shouldn't Be Normal in Database Development

  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 this episode, I share three things that should NOT be normal for database development--...

  
• 07.16.2020

  Everything I Never Wanted to Know about Collation

  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 basics, along with helpful resources to learn more. One small...

  
• 07.08.2020

  The Manager's Guide to Git Training for DBAs

  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 your project, choosing the right tools, and making sure the project is...

  
• 06.12.2019

  How Do Developers and DBAs Collaborate in a DevOps World?

  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 or options for automation? Or should you instead re-think how your two teams work...

  
• 01.29.2019

  What a Software Evangelist Does - and Where the Job is Going

  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 software company? In 21 minutes, I explain the core mission of Evangelists,...

  
• 01.17.2019

  DBA Jobs: Threats and Opportunities

  Jobs change over time, and database administrator jobs are no different. In this 35 minute recorded Twitch livestream (my first ever!) I talk about threats to DBA jobs and the related opportunities.

  
• 10.02.2018

  DevOps Terms - and Why They Matter to Database Specialists

  In this session, I discuss scrum, continuous deployment, test driven development, DevOps, and related concepts. I close with a quick discussion of why Database Administrators and Developers should care about DevOps.

  
• 08.29.2018

  Employee Agreements & Contracts - Best Practices

  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 that you understand the terms of your contract, and how to potentially...

  
• 08.11.2018

  Employee Agreements & Contracts for DBAs & Developers - Anti-Patterns

  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 your employer. In this half-hour live episode we'll talk about why these contracts exist,...

  
• 08.01.2018

  Remembering Robert Davis, DBA Hero

  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 Robert displayed that I hope to emulate.

  
• 07.19.2018

  Why Don't You Teach Service Broker?

  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 Broker. In this episode, I talk about why I personally haven't become an expert...

  
• 06.13.2018

  Training Resources for SQL Noobs

  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 from the ground up. Links from the episode are at: https://sqlworkbooks.com/dear-sql-dba/training-resources-for-sql-noobs/

  
• 05.18.2018

  Dealing With a Lack of Control as a DBA

  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 anonymous, but they can be generalized as a bigger problem:...

  
• 05.03.2018

  Do DBAs Need College Degrees?

  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 lacking a college degree block their career growth down the line? I talk about...

  
• 04.23.2018

  How Do I Prepare for Certification Exams?

  In this episode, I talk about how to strategize for and prepare for Microsoft Certification exams, using the Database Fundamentals exam as an example.

  
• 04.05.2018

  I Want to Work for Myself

  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 to start working for yourself, and two possible paths to get...

  
• 12.01.2017

  Auto-Tuning and the #1 Mindset Problem I had as a DBA

  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 talk about why I'm excited about those features rather than afraid of them. Digging...

  
• 11.17.2017

  Slowing Down Your Motor Mouth - Presentation Tips for Fast Talkers

  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 from getting started with public speaking? In this episode, I give you...

  
• 11.08.2017

  I Thought I Was An Introvert. Turns Out I Was Anxious as #@*(

  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 on healthcare, religion, and squishy emotions -- and there's at least one curse word. I don't talk...

  
• 10.05.2017

  The Death of SQL Server Service Packs

  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, Service Packs, and the process of updating SQL Server.

  
• 09.28.2017

  Love and Hate for SSMS

  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 such conflicting feelings about SSMS, and how to work it all out.

  
• 09.22.2017

  How Do I Analyze a SQL Server Execution Plan?

  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 are, what "cost" is, why to collect "compiled for" values, and the...

  
• 09.12.2017

  Do I Need to Master PowerShell?

  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 ways I personally use (and struggle with) PowerShell.

  
• 09.07.2017

  SQL PASS Summit 2017: Why I'm Excited, and Tips on Attending

  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 excited about going, and why I've purchased a seat for a pre-conference session....

  
• 08.31.2017

  How Do You Stay Motivated?

  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. In this episode I share how I think about motivation and what keeps me going.

  
• 08.24.2017

  "I faked my resume... now what?"

  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 on my resume?

  
• 08.17.2017

  Interview Advice from the SQL Server Community

  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 the Third Party Recruiter Game", by Adam Machanic - http://sqlblog.com/blogs/adam_machanic/archive/2017/08/08/playing-the-third-party-recruiter-game-t-sql-tuesday-093.aspx "I Hate Interviews", by Rob Sewell...

  
• 08.08.2017

  Interview Patterns and Anti-Patterns

  Hear the story of an interview where my dreams were crushed - and what I learned about interviewing from the experience.

  
• 05.25.2017

  Which Queries are Causing my Wait Stats?

  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 different techniques to track down the cause of both common and tricky waits in SQL...

  
• 05.18.2017

  Removing Query Hints with Plan Guides

  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 from parameterized TSQL run from an application, and get tips on how...

  
• 05.11.2017

  Batch Mode Hacks in SQL Server

  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 and demo code, head to https://sqlworkbooks.com/2017/05/batch-mode-hacks-for-rowstore-queries-in-sql-server/

  
• 05.04.2017

  Should I Get Certified as a DBA?

  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 exam.

  
• 04.27.2017

  How Does a DBA Build Confidence After Making Mistakes?

  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 episode Kendra gives you practical steps that help you cope with change...

  
• 04.20.2017

  Are Bad Statistics Making My Query Slow?

  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 make troubleshooting even harder. Learn how to use query execution plans to get to...

  
• 04.13.2017

  Index Maintenance and Performance

  They made their index maintenance job smarter, and their queries got slower in production afterward. Could the index maintenance have harmed performance? In this episode... 00:50 Thinking about plan freezing in Query Store and multi-team process 03:15 This week's question...

  
• 04.06.2017

  Lock Timeouts & Memory

  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 used just for locks? In this episode... 00:33 What's new @ SQL Workbooks: Down...

  
• 03.30.2017

  Why is my Transaction Log Growing in My Availability Group?

  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 Availability Group? Timestamps in this episode if you want to skip ahead: 00:49 What's new...

  
• 03.23.2017

  When SQL Server Does NOT Use Write Ahead Logging

  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 backups and recovery. This week, we talk about when SQL Server turns...

  
• 03.16.2017

  Using a Tail Log Backup in a SQL Server Migration

  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 backup in a migration scenario.

  
• 03.09.2017

  Stack Dumps in SQL Server

  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 to find information about stack dumps on your SQL Server, and how to...

  
• 03.02.2017

  WAL: The concept that makes recovery models & backups make sense

  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 make sense of recovery models and backup strategies in SQL Server. Kendra tells...