Heads up: SQL Server 2014 SP1 On Hold If you started the process of testing and getting read to install SP1, you’ll want to hold off. There are some issues with it that Microsoft will be addressing in a re-release of the service pack as soon as they’re ready. In the meantime, hold off on the installation and/or testing. Here’s […]

I recently interviewed for the opportunity to do some work for a new company. They were asking a number of questions around performance tuning and optimization. One question specifically targeted SSIS, and the performance of importing data. My immediate reply, based on personal experience, was that having staging tables to bring the data into SQL Server makes the work easier […]

One of the conversations I mentioned I would get to while comparing different kinds of data storage was business requirements influencing your decision. It has very little to do with the particular storage structure, and more to do with the company culture. For example, I have done work for a company that replaced all of their MySql databases with SQL […]

Where Do You See Biggest Tuning Challenges? When you’re working with your databases, do you see the areas you go after for tuning and for performance in general changing? There have been more and more instances where we’re working with people on tweaking installations where the specific areas to consider are getting… fuzzier. This comes from the fact that so […]

Now we’re getting to the real crux of the issue when it comes to data storage. I’m really excited about all of the responses from the last two editorials on data storage engines. They all show insight, experience and perception. Today I want to pull out the comment from online because it clarifies some of the concepts regarding what is […]

I find it interesting that my peers, each with many decades each of programming, find the place of hierarchical databases to be defunct. I don’t want to be argumentative, or negate anyone’s point of view. The main point was, we have had hierarchical databases before, and moved away from them, because relational was better. I think most people would agree […]

I had an interesting discussion recently with a colleague regarding data structures and the storage of data. We were comparing object oriented databases storing data hierarchically, hybrid object oriented databases that allow both relational and object storage, and pure relational storage. The interesting part of our discussion was the performance of the engine based on different kinds of data access. […]

Requirements are essential for any project, no matter what software lifecycle you choose. Have you ever experienced that sinking feeling in your gut, when time to get things working is over, and the question is asked, “Are we ready to go live.” In a traditional lifecycle it is common to have a traceability matrix. This is simply a document with […]

Hybrid Database Environments I had lots of great feedback on the types of environments that people are working with. My specific question, I *thought* in the editorial earlier this week had to do with multiple database platforms. Microsoft, Oracle, DB2, yes. But also the relative newcomers to the scene. Things like Hadoop and others. What are you all facing, and […]

I love working with teams when developing software. A solid team results in produces better end products due to the consolidated skills of the whole. One of the things I look for in the cultural mindset for a development team is a group ownership of the entire application. Each individual has areas of expertise. However, there is no portion of […]