Search results matching tags 'Troubleshooting', 'Best Practices', and 'Performance'

New White Paper: SQL Server Extended Events and Notifications

KKline — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:13:00 GMT

SQL Server comes with a wide array of tools for monitoring your environment. There are logs and traces that provide information when errors occur, but these are often used passively to react to events that have already occurred. There's PerfMon, and Profiler, and loads of Dynamic Management Views to check. But where to look?

As database administrators (DBA), we need to monitor our environments proactively and create solutions as issues arise. In this white paper, we will look at a couple technologies – event notifications and extended events – that can help you achieve these goals. With these two features, we’ll look at the error log and deadlocks, and demonstrate how you can get relevant information delivered as it occurs. We’ll also look at ways that run-time errors can be captured and used to help reduce the amount of time required to investigate issues.

This white paper, written by SQL Server MVP Jason Strate (blog | twitter), is a free download but requires a registration. Download the Extended Events white paper here.

And, as always, I enjoy your feedback. Thanks!

-Kev

Follow me on Twitter!

SQL Server Performance Tuning and Optimization in Jacksonville, FL on April 27th

KKline — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:15:00 GMT

One last reminder - If you're interested in learning more about troubleshooting and optimizing SQL Server performance, please consider coming to the full-day seminar I'll be giving this Friday. Full details are here: http://sqlperftuning.eventbrite.com/. We'll be working some exercises, so bring your laptop with an instance of SQL Server 2008 (or later) running on it. It'll be fun!

I also encourage you to come on down to SQL Saturday 130 the following day - whether there's an official registration for you or not. (But don't tell 'em I said that). :^)

Come by the booth for a visit. I'll be hanging out most of the day and have some nice swag to give away.

Enjoy,

-Kev

Follow me on Twitter!

Pain of the Week/Expert's Perspective: Performance Tuning for Backups and Restores

KKline — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 14:39:00 GMT

First off - the Pain of the Week webcast series has been renamed. It's now known as The Expert's Perspective. Please join us for future webcasts and, if you're interested in speaking, drop me a note to see if we can get you on the roster!

The bigger your databases get, the longer backups take. That doesn't really seem like a huge problem — until disaster strikes and you need to restore your databases as fast as possible.

Join my buddy Brent Ozar (blog | twitter), a Microsoft Certified Master of SQL Server and good friend, as he reveals ways to make these critically important maintenance tasks run faster.

You'll discover:

Why Instant File Initialization is so important for restores
How to use DMVs to check restore progress
How to find the bottleneck while you're backing up or restoring data

Watch the recorded presentation at http://www.quest.com/events/ListDetails.aspx?ContentID=13358!

Enjoy!

-Kev

Follow me on Twitter at kekline

More content at http://KevinEKline.com

Available Online - SQL Server Training Videos

KKline — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 03:37:00 GMT

Interested in my various performance tuning and troubleshooting videos about SQL Server? These videos feature my good buddies (and uber-SQL Server experts) Brent Ozar (blog | twitter) and Buck Woody (blog | twitter). View these insight-packed training videos from our SQL Server training events originally presented on March 3 and July 21 of 2010:HERE.

You can watch the videos now at the URL above or order a DVD, shipped free of charge in the USA and Canada, HERE.

Enjoy!

-Kev

~~~

Twitter at kekline

New on SQLMag.Com: Update to SP_WHOISACTIVE

KKline — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:12:00 GMT

I profiled Adam Machanic's (blog | twitter) excellent stored procedure, SP_WHOISACTIVE, back in August of 2010 in my monthly SQLMag column, Tool Time. Adam has been diligent about maintaining the tool and adding new features. Read the details on my SQLMag Tool Time column (here - http://www.sqlmag.com/blogs/tool-time/entryid/76341/new-release-of-sp_whoisactive).

Enjoy!

-Kev

Twitter at kekline

More content at http://KevinEKline.com

Reminder: Totally Awesome and Totally Free Training SQL Server Training

KKline — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:45:00 GMT

One of the things that I enjoy about working for Quest Software is that we give back copiously to the community. From activities and offerings like SQLServerPedia, to our free posters mailed anywhere in North America (and don't forget the free hi-res PDFs for the rest of the world),

Don't forget that free DVDs of our virtual conferences featuring me, along with Buck Woody (blog | twitter) and Brent Ozar (blog | twitter) will be mailed anywhere in North America free of charge, now available at this link.

Enjoy!

-Kevin

Twitter at kekline

More content at http://KevinEKline.com

Have You Heard About Project Lucy?

KKline — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:17:00 GMT

Lucy, You Got Some 'Splainin to Do!'

Quest Software's latest community initiative, Windows Azure-based Project Lucy, has debuted! Project Lucy is part infrastructure analytics, part social media experiment, and part performance data warehouse. The best things about Project Lucy include:

It’s Free - just like our SQLServerPedia website, Project Lucy is free to anyone who wants to upload a trace file
It’s 1oo% web-based - you don’t have to download or maintain anything and updates roll out seamlessly, all the time
It really helps - just generate a SQL Trace on a SQL Server 2000, 2005 or 2008 instance, upload it on www.projectlucy.com, and see for yourself

This initiative empowers DBAs and IT professionals to gain a better understanding of their database performance through automated analyses and collaboration with their peers. Our goal is to allow users to go beyond the benefits of installing and using a commercial product, and tap into an online community to share and compare experiences and results. Our goal is to test the best ways we can help users learn and understand what their performance data really means, and how they should act upon that data – if at all – in a collaborative, meaningful way. For this debut, Project Lucy will accept SQL Trace files, or zip files containing multiple traces, and will provide a summary of the content and areas where performance can be improved. As y'all use the service, information will become available to help you compare your performance and engage in meaningful discussions with others about the issues you are facing. Your feedback, your feedback, and participation will drive how Project Lucy evolves. Get involved by participating in the pilot program! And let me know what you think.

Go to www.projectlucy.com to get started!

Enjoy! -Kev

Twitter at kekline

More content at http://KevinEKline.com