Author: Joe Webb

Who's caring for your SQL Servers?

Who’s Caring for Your SQL Servers?

“If three people are responsible for feeding the dog, the dog is going to starve. You must have clear areas of responsibility.” In his book Risk, retired United States Army General Stanley McChrystal shared this quote. It’s from a mentor he had as a young officer. And It helped shape his career. As a family…
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The need for High Availability and Disaster Recovery

HADR for Crying Out Loud

I was on my morning walk recently when I noticed this laying on the walking path. Some call it a binky. Others a pacifier or fooler. Whatever you call it, it’s an essential piece of equipment for some infants. Without it, their world falls apart. And the calamity is contagious. They, and everyone around them,…
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sql server inertia

Are Urgency and Inertia Putting Your SQL Servers at Risk?

In today’s world, we are constantly bombarded with a never-ending stream of urgent tasks and deadlines. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind and lose sight of the big picture. This is where inertia comes into play. And inertia can put your SQL Servers at risk. How urgency creates inertia Inertia is…
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sql maintenance

SQL Server Maintenance: 10 Things to Keep Your SQL Server Running Well

I’m not really a car guy. My daily driver is 10 years old but it serves me well. It’s reliable. It gets me where I want to go and back again. And I want to keep it that way so I maintain it. I change the oil regularly, I rotate the tires almost as often,…
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4 keys to becoming a better DBA

Four “Go-Getter” Keys to Becoming a Better DBA

Are you a seasoned DBA that’s feeling a bit stagnant? Or maybe a junior DBA who wants to elevate her DBA game? Perhaps, you’re an “Accidental DBA,” someone whose primary role is something besides DBA yet you’re being asked to take care of the database in your spare time? Wherever you are in your career,…
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sql server constaints

The Goal: Removing SQL Server Constraints

“It takes forever to login to the clinical application. I have patients waiting. And I have to sit there waiting for the application to let me in. It’s not good.” Or, “I click the report and wait, and wait, and wait. Finally, I give up and hit Refresh. Nothing happens. Can’t you fix it?” Sound…
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virtual machine snapshots sql server backups

Webinar: Virtual Machine Backups – RTO and RPO Considerations for you SQL Server

Some companies take virtual machine snapshots of their web servers, their file servers, and their Citrix servers. They regularly snapshot before software patching, before server upgrades, and before other configuration changes. Snapshotting a good way to ensure they can recover the VM if something goes wrong. So, that begs the question: should you use VM…
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SQL Server looking up and out.

Looking “Up and Out” and “Down and In”

Halfway through my morning walk, I look up and see this amazing view. No filter needed. It was naturally stunning. I just stood there a moment soaking in the majesty of the view. The wisp of the clouds, the vibrancy of the colors, the reflection of the water. It was beautiful. And I almost missed…
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What’s Causing SQL Server Performance Issues?

“I bought some instant water one time but I didn’t know what to add to it.” – Steven Wright, comedian. I’ve always like Steven Wright‘s dry sense of humor and comedic timing. He’s got a lot of other great quotes similar to this one. Ok. But how does this relate to SQL Server? What’s really…
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SQL Server performance tuning OODA loop

SQL Server Performance Tuning and the OODA Loop

Users are complaining. One of your SQL Servers is not just slow, but slooooooooooooooooowwwwwww. A 6-syllable slow. We’ve all been there. We’ve all had SQL Servers that are underperforming. But where do you start with performance tuning? Let’s look to a proven approach for decision-making and troubleshooting as our guide – the OODA Loop. The…
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