PODCAST · technology
Dear SQL DBA
by Kendra Little
Kendra Little's podcast discussing database performance tuning, software development, and working with data.
Episodes
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Erik Darling and Kendra Little talk AI, SQL Server 2025, and the Future Is Text Files
Erik Darling joins Kendra to chat about AI tools, why they work better for Python and PowerShell than SQL, and what's exciting (and what's not) in SQL Server 2025. Along the way we describe the ONE THING we always want to configure in Resource Governor, why at least one SQL Server 2025 feature...
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Erik Darling and Kendra Little Rate SQL Server Perf Tuning Techniques
Erik Darling joins Kendra Little to rate different SQL Server Performance Tuning Techniques in episode 81 of the Dear SQL DBA podcast. We share our opinions of... (deep breath) Recompile hints, Query Store hints and plan forcing, CTEs, Resource Governor, the legacy cardinality estimator, Table...
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Power BI Performance Tuning with Eugene Meidinger
Eugene Meidinger stops by to chat about Power BI Performance Tuning with Kendra. We talk about the various engines and languages used in Power BI and big-picture strategies for getting performance from the start. Eugene then talks about the community of tools and techniques that can be used to…
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Automated Deployments and the Art of the Database with Database Michael J Swart
In this episode, Michael J Swart joins the Dear SQL DBA podcast to talk about databases, automation, and how he's come to illustrate some of the coolest blog posts ever to be written about data. Check out Michael's art and blog posts at michaeljswart.com, and explore his posts by illustration at...
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Jer and Kendar Explore Optimized Locking
SQL Server has a new feature that's currently only available in Azure SQL Database: Optimized Locking. Jeremiah Peschka joins the podcast to talk through the docs and nerd out on locks, blocks, and how to pronounce the acronym "LAQ". Learn more about this feature online: Optimized locking article...
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Advice for Technical Leaders with Alex Robson
Ever wondered what it's like to be a VP or Director of Engineering? Kendra chats with Alex Robson about leadership in technology, what you can get out of coaching or an MBA program (should you be interested), and what makes a high performing team. We'll also chat about recommended content to hone...
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Erik Darling on Performance Tuning
SQL Server performance tuning expert Erik Darling joins the podcast today to chat about how good queries can go bad, how bad queries can get better, and the question on everyone's mind: if he was a database, what database would he be? This episode contains some mildly explicit language. Erik's...
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What's up with Tech Interviews in 2023? With Jeremiah Peschka.
Tech interviews are weird and wacky. How did they get this way, and how SHOULD they be? Jeremiah Peschka joins us to discuss.
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Data Roles: DBA, DBRE, and Data Engineer
There are lots of jobs for data folks. In this episode, I'm discussing three hot job titles: Database Administrator (DBA), Database Reliability Engineer (DBRE), and Data Engineer (DE) To see the venn diagrams I made for these roles, visit...
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When NOT to choose SQL Server to store your data
I wrote a blog post inspired by Stephen Vakil's excellent suggested interview question, but I inverted it: When should you NOT choose SQL Server to store your data? My thoughts: * When you don't actually need a database * When you're not using structured data * When you want pure analytics, or...
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Down Tools Week 2020
It's Down Tools Week at Redgate. I share what "Down Tools Week" is, what I'm working on this week, and why I think it's a terrific experience for fostering creativity, innovation, and teamwork. In closing I share some thoughts on variations of this kind of project which you might use in your own...
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3 Things That Shouldn't Be Normal in Database Development
Many people use entrenched processes for database development that have been in place so long that it's hard to imagine doing it any other way. In this episode, I share three things that should NOT be normal for database development-- but which are incredibly common. This episode is inspired by…
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Everything I Never Wanted to Know about Collation
I'm not an expert on collation in SQL Server, but there are a few important facts which I've had to learn the hard way. In this episode I share the basics, along with helpful resources to learn more. One small localization correction: the default collation on a SQL Server install will be "the...
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The Manager's Guide to Git Training for DBAs
Learning Git can be daunting for DBAs. In this 20 minute episode, I discuss why learning a VCS is necessary for DBAs, then give three tips on scoping your project, choosing the right tools, and making sure the project is successful. The cheat sheet I mention in the episode is at...
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How Do Developers and DBAs Collaborate in a DevOps World?
You're a DBA, and your development team is all-in on doing DevOps, and they want to include the database. Should your DBA team limit the permissions or options for automation? Or should you instead re-think how your two teams work together? In this episode, Kendra discusses DevOps team…
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What a Software Evangelist Does - and Where the Job is Going
I've been working as an 'Evangelist' at Redgate for close to six months now, and one question keeps coming up: what exactly does an Evangelist do at a software company? In 21 minutes, I explain the core mission of Evangelists, and why I think being part of the sales process is an important part…
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DBA Jobs: Threats and Opportunities
Jobs change over time, and database administrator jobs are no different. In this 35 minute recorded Twitch livestream (my first ever!) I talk about threats to DBA jobs and the related opportunities.
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DevOps Terms - and Why They Matter to Database Specialists
In this session, I discuss scrum, continuous deployment, test driven development, DevOps, and related concepts. I close with a quick discussion of why Database Administrators and Developers should care about DevOps.
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Employee Agreements & Contracts - Best Practices
So you've got an employee agreement in front of you: now what? In this 23 minute episode, I talk about practical steps you should take to make sure that you understand the terms of your contract, and how to potentially negotiate the terms.
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Employee Agreements & Contracts for DBAs & Developers - Anti-Patterns
When you take a new job in software engineering or in IT, within the paperwork there often lurks an employee agreement: a contract between you and your employer. In this half-hour live episode we'll talk about why these contracts exist, and multiple anti-patterns you should avoid. This is the…
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Remembering Robert Davis, DBA Hero
What makes a person a DBA Hero? In this episode, I talk about how Robert Davis made a huge impact on the SQL Server community, and the traits that Robert displayed that I hope to emulate.
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Why Don't You Teach Service Broker?
I've gotten a few questions about whether I recommend learning Service Broker, and recently I was asked if I'm planning to make any courses on Service Broker. In this episode, I talk about why I personally haven't become an expert with Broker, the factors that I believe play into Service Broker...
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Training Resources for SQL Noobs
New to learning SQL Server? Get the scoop on free online resources to look up information, ask questions of community members, and learn SQL Server from the ground up. Links from the episode are at: https://sqlworkbooks.com/dear-sql-dba/training-resources-for-sql-noobs/
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Dealing With a Lack of Control as a DBA
This week I discuss a question that I've gotten in many forms over the years - a lot of the scenarios are so specific that it's hard to keep them anonymous, but they can be generalized as a bigger problem: how do I deal with being responsible for things that I can't fully control? DBAs have huge...
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Do DBAs Need College Degrees?
Our question this week comes from someone who's excited to be on a healthy career path, building their work experience as a DBA. They're worried: will lacking a college degree block their career growth down the line? I talk about my experience and also check out current job listings to answer the...
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How Do I Prepare for Certification Exams?
In this episode, I talk about how to strategize for and prepare for Microsoft Certification exams, using the Database Fundamentals exam as an example.
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I Want to Work for Myself
Our question this week comes from an IT pro who would like to be self-employed. In this episode, I talk about three big things you need to think about to start working for yourself, and two possible paths to get there.
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Auto-Tuning and the #1 Mindset Problem I had as a DBA
A few folks have asked: will auto-tuning and adaptive query plans mean the end of performance tuning jobs in SQL Server? In this week's episode, I talk about why I'm excited about those features rather than afraid of them. Digging into this problem, I share the #1 mindset problem I had as a DBA,...
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Slowing Down Your Motor Mouth - Presentation Tips for Fast Talkers
Are you worried that you talk too fast when you give a speech, talk, or presentation? Is fear being a fast-talker one of the concerns that keeps you from getting started with public speaking? In this episode, I give you simple, practical tips that I've used to successfully improve the way I give...
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I Thought I Was An Introvert. Turns Out I Was Anxious as #@*(
In this week's episode, I'm not answering a reader's question. Instead, I'm talking about my personal experience with anxiety. This episode touches on on healthcare, religion, and squishy emotions -- and there's at least one curse word. I don't talk tech in this episode. (Don't worry, there's…
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The Death of SQL Server Service Packs
SQL Server Service Packs are going away, starting with SQL Server 2017. I talk about why I think this is a good thing, and discuss Cumulative Updates, Service Packs, and the process of updating SQL Server.
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Love and Hate for SSMS
People have strong feelings about SQL Server Management Studio: they love it AND they hate it. In this week's episode, I talk about why people have such conflicting feelings about SSMS, and how to work it all out.
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How Do I Analyze a SQL Server Execution Plan?
A query is slow, and you figure out how to collect the query execution plan. Now what? In this episode I talk "big picture" about what execution plans are, what "cost" is, why to collect "compiled for" values, and the steps I take to analyze execution plans while performance tuning queries.
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Do I Need to Master PowerShell?
As a SQL Server DBA, do you need to be a killer with scripts? In this episode I talk about how much you need to know about PowerShell, and examples of ways I personally use (and struggle with) PowerShell.
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SQL PASS Summit 2017: Why I'm Excited, and Tips on Attending
I'll be attending and presenting at the SQL PASS Summit in Seattle Washington this year from Oct 31-Nov 3. In this week's episode, I share why I'm excited about going, and why I've purchased a seat for a pre-conference session. (Spoiler: pre-cons are awesome!) I also give my tips on how to get…
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How Do You Stay Motivated?
Over the years, readers have asked me: "How do you stay motivated?" Sticking with a learning plan, blogging, or becoming a public speaker isn't easy. In this episode I share how I think about motivation and what keeps me going.
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"I faked my resume... now what?"
This week's question from a reader: how do I deal with interview questions asking about real-world scenarios when I've faked three years of experience on my resume?
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Interview Advice from the SQL Server Community
In this episode, I talk about three articles written by members of the SQL Server community on interviewing that I can't stop thinking about: "Playing the Third Party Recruiter Game", by Adam Machanic -...
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Interview Patterns and Anti-Patterns
Hear the story of an interview where my dreams were crushed - and what I learned about interviewing from the experience.
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Which Queries are Causing my Wait Stats?
You've got some troubling wait stats in SQL Server. How can you tell which queries are causing those waits? Kendra discusses the pros and cons of different techniques to track down the cause of both common and tricky waits in SQL Server, including CXPACKET, PAGEIOLATCH, LCK, RESOURCE_SEMAPHORE…
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Removing Query Hints with Plan Guides
If you need to add, remove, or replace hints from ad-hoc queries and you can't change the code, plan guides can help. See a demo of removing hints from parameterized TSQL run from an application, and get tips on how to make your plan guides work in SQL Server. Get code samples from this episode...
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Batch Mode Hacks in SQL Server
Learn what batch mode is in SQL Server, and how you can trick SQL Server into using it (even without a "real" columnstore index). For clickable links and demo code, head to https://sqlworkbooks.com/2017/05/batch-mode-hacks-for-rowstore-queries-in-sql-server/
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Should I Get Certified as a DBA?
Find out if getting certified will help you land an entry level DBA job, and if you do want to get certified, get Kendra's tips on preparing for the exam.
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How Does a DBA Build Confidence After Making Mistakes?
Ever had a database change go horribly wrong? It can feel awful in the moment, then eat away at your confidence for days afterward. In this 20 minute episode Kendra gives you practical steps that help you cope with change over the course of your DBA career.
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Are Bad Statistics Making My Query Slow?
An important query is suddenly slow. Is it because statistics are out of date? This is tricky to figure out, and updating statistics right away can make troubleshooting even harder. Learn how to use query execution plans to get to the heart of the question and find out if stats are really your...
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Index Maintenance and Performance
They made their index maintenance job smarter, and their queries got slower in production afterward. Could the index maintenance have harmed performance? In this episode... 00:50 Thinking about plan freezing in Query Store and multi-team process 03:15 This week's question about index maintenance...
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Lock Timeouts & Memory
The dev server got bogged down during a deployment and lock timeouts were everywhere. Was the perfmon counter way off about how much memory was being used just for locks? In this episode... 00:33 What's new @ SQL Workbooks: Down the Rabbit Hole 03:00 This week's question about lock timeouts &...
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Why is my Transaction Log Growing in My Availability Group?
A database transaction log is expanding, even though the DBA is running log backups and doesn't see an open transaction? What's going on with this Availability Group? Timestamps in this episode if you want to skip ahead: 00:49 What's new @ SQL Workbooks 03:22 Info on SQLPASS Summit Content Survey…
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When SQL Server Does NOT Use Write Ahead Logging
A few episodes ago, I talked about how learning about Write Ahead Logging was a light bulb moment for me, and helped me learn tons of concepts about backups and recovery. This week, we talk about when SQL Server turns things upside down and doesn't use write ahead logging: and what it has to do…
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Using a Tail Log Backup in a SQL Server Migration
When you migrate a database, it can be useful to prove that you moved all the data and didn't miss any transactions. Learn how to use a tail log backup in a migration scenario.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Kendra Little's podcast discussing database performance tuning, software development, and working with data.
HOSTED BY
Kendra Little
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Dear SQL DBA have?
Dear SQL DBA currently has 83 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Dear SQL DBA about?
Kendra Little's podcast discussing database performance tuning, software development, and working with data.
How often does Dear SQL DBA release new episodes?
Dear SQL DBA has 83 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Dear SQL DBA?
You can listen to Dear SQL DBA on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Dear SQL DBA?
Dear SQL DBA is created and hosted by Kendra Little.
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