Dear SQL DBA

When you're a Junior DBA, it's really hard to take in all the information out there. Learn about write ahead logging: the concept that can help you make sense of recovery models and backup strategies in SQL Server. Kendra tells the story of the "Wow!" moment when she learned about write ahead logging from Kimberly Tripp of SQLSkills.com, and explains how this all works in SQL Server.

Will cloud services render DBAs obsolete? Does the cloud mean that developers will use less of SQL Server? Kendra talks about the future of database administration and gives tips on strategizing your career.

Learn why the output from the built-in procedure sp_who2 can be so confusing, how to get more information, and free tools that can make it easier to figure out what you need to pay attention to in SQL Server.

Learn where full-text search shines, a common problem which full-text search does NOT solve, where full-text can run into performance problems.

Learn the difference between heaps, clustered and nonclustered indexes, primary keys, and columnstore indexes in SQL Server.

Learn how to approach the unexpected in a mysterious execution plan that contains way more operators than expected for a very simple SQL Server query.

Performing a switcharoo between new and old tables can cause blocking nightmares. Partition switching may help, surprisingly even on non-partitioned tables.

You need to release schema changes while the SQL Server is in use. Learn why code generation tools write odd scripts and how to stay sane amid rapid releases.

Does your team know what it's doing with SQL Server? Learn what a consultant looks for when assessing a team, and signs that SQL Server may be badly configured.

The first time you test a query it's slow, but when you run it again, it's much faster. Learn how SQL Server uses memory to make the second run much faster.