My DBA Adventure

Firstly, I recommend watching this  How to Think Like the Engine - YouTube  by Brent Ozar on YouTube (all parts). It is incredibly helpful foundational material before you begin your SQL performance tuning journey. The SQL Server optimizer   is responsible for determining which operations —such as scans or seeks — should be used to query the least number of 8KB pages. However, the optimizer sometimes needs a DBA's intervention. For example, an ideal index for a query might not exist yet. In such cases, it is up to the DBA to create the index so that the optimizer can make use of it. Similarly, inaccurate row count estimations on the execution plan can lead to suboptimal choices by the optimizer. As DBAs, we may need to update statistics or tune the code depending on the cause of the misestimations. When we have accurate indexes and correct row estimations , the optimizer's choices are usually optimal, and we can stop our part of tuning the query. In this post, I will...

In this blog, I’ll list and briefly review some of the resources and tools that I genuinely find valuable — the ones I often return to, whether for learning or hands-on use. I’m especially thankful to be part of a DBA community filled with talented people who generously share their knowledge and experience. I’ll continue adding more great content to this list as I come across resources/tools that have helped me throughout my career journey. 🔧 Performance Tuning Blogs and Videos Brent Ozar Unlimited – How to Think Like the Engine Watch on YouTube A must-watch series that breaks down how SQL Server processes queries internally by showing how data is stored on disk as 8KB pages. It’s a foundational class for anyone getting into query performance tuning. I always enjoy watching Brent Ozar’s videos—he’s humorous, knowledgeable, and a great communicator. His lessons are packed with interesting examples. Always ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me! Erik ...