Welcome back to our series on programming constructs in T-SQL! In Part 1 of this series, we explored the fundamentals of variables and conditional IF statements, laying the groundwork for dynamic and efficient SQL scripting. In this second installment, we’ll delve deeper into T-SQL by examining two more powerful constructs: Loops (specifically the WHILE loop) and CASE Expressions. Understanding these constructs will enable you to handle repetitive tasks and implement conditional logic directly within your SQL queries, further enhancing the flexibility and capability of your scripts.
Category: SQL Developer
Testing Always Encrypted with Parameterized Queries in SQL Server
It’s more important than ever to be vigilant in protecting and securing our data. Always Encrypted is a feature in SQL Server designed to protect sensitive data, such as Social Security numbers or credit card information. In this guide, we’ll focus on testing Always Encrypted using parameterized queries to ensure data remains secure during common operations like searching, inserting, and updating.
Avoiding Recompiles in Dynamic SQL: Best Practices for SQL Server
Dynamic SQL is a powerful feature in SQL Server that allows you to build and execute SQL statements on the fly. It’s especially useful when you need flexibility in your queries based on varying conditions. However, a common issue with dynamic SQL is that it can lead to frequent recompilations of execution plans, which can hurt performance. In this post, I’ll explain why this happens, how you can avoid unnecessary recompiles, and provide scripts you can use to test these concepts yourself.
Automating Database Restoration Between SQL Server Availability Groups Using PowerShell
In this post, I’ll walk you through a PowerShell script that automates the restoration of a database from one AG to another. The script handles everything—from performing a COPY-ONLY backup on the source AG to restoring the database on the target AG’s primary and secondary replicas, applying transaction logs, and rejoining the database to the new AG seamlessly.
Using Query Hints to Solve SQL Server Performance Issues
As professional DBAs, we’re often tasked with balancing query performance against resource consumption. While SQL Server’s query optimizer generally does an excellent job at selecting execution plans, there are times when we need more control. This is where query hints come into play. These hints provide a powerful way to override the default behavior of the query optimizer, allowing us to directly influence how queries are executed to solve performance bottlenecks. In this post, we will explore how query hints can be leveraged to address common performance issues and fine-tune your SQL Server workloads.
Efficient Batch Insertion in SQL Server Using ADO.NET and C#
When dealing with large datasets, the efficiency of database operations becomes crucial. Inserting records one by one into a SQL Server database can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Fortunately, ADO.NET provides a solution in the form of the SqlBulkCopy class. This tool allows for batch insertion of records, significantly improving performance and reducing overhead. In this post, we’ll explore how to use SqlBulkCopy in C# to efficiently insert large volumes of data into SQL Server.
Ensuring Smooth SSRS Subscriptions in an Always On Availability Group
SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is a powerful tool for managing and delivering reports in an enterprise environment. When configuring SSRS within a SQL Server Always On Availability Group, it’s essential to take specific steps to ensure that SSRS subscriptions continue to function properly during failovers. This blog outlines the key actions required to maintain seamless SSRS operations in such a setup.
The Hidden Costs of Data Type Decisions in SQL Server
When designing a SQL Server database, the choice of data types is one of the most fundamental decisions that will have a lasting impact on both performance and storage efficiency. Each data type in SQL Server has specific characteristics that determine how data is stored, how much space it consumes, and how it performs in various operations such as indexing, querying, and sorting. Understanding these characteristics and making informed decisions about data types can lead to significant improvements in both the speed and the efficiency of your database systems.
Enhancing Scalability with Geographic Sharding in SQL Server
Geographic sharding is a strategic approach that enhances performance by distributing a database into smaller, manageable pieces (shards) across various geographic locations. This methodology not only improves data access speeds but also facilitates efficient load distribution and scalability by aligning data physically closer to end-users. This blog takes a look at implementing geographic sharding in SQL Server.
Configuring Your SQL Server Instance via PowerShell
Managing a SQL Server instance can involve various tasks, including setting configuration options to optimize performance and resource usage. Using PowerShell to configure SQL Server instances can provide significant advantages, such as automation, consistency, and the ability to easily script and repeat tasks across multiple servers. This guide will walk you through a PowerShell script that connects to a local SQL Server instance, retrieves current configuration settings, updates these settings, and applies the changes.