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Day: January 23, 2025

Using PolyBase for Archiving Data

Published 2025-01-23 by Kevin Feasel

Andy Yun is speaking my language:

One of SQL Server 2022’s new features is something called Data Virtualization. It enables T-SQL to directly query files that reside in Azure object storage or S3-compatible object storage. In my opinion, since SQL Server 2022’s release, it’s one of those underrated capabilities that I think many have glossed over. But I strongly believe that it is insanely useful and you should take a few minutes to learn more!

Read on to learn more. Also, Andy mentions using S3-compatible local storage with PolyBase for local storage. As a spoiler, I have a video coming out on January 28th that covers exactly that same topic, though without the benefit of snappy all-flash storage arrays.

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Thoughts on Cloud Monitoring Solutions

Published 2025-01-23 by Kevin Feasel

Mika Sutinen takes a look at built-in ways to monitor SQL Server databases in the three major cloud providers:

Monitoring SQL Server databases is one of the main responsibilities of DBAs, both in on-premises and on the public cloud platforms. Continuing from my previous post, where I reviewed the various options of SQL Server PaaS offerings from major hyperscalers, I’ll now focus on the monitoring solutions they provide.

While I always prefer commercial tools that come packed with features, it’s not the only way to go. Whether you’re using AWS, Azure, or GCP, each platform offers unique tools and features to help you keep an eye on your managed SQL Server database services.

Read on for information about what’s available in each.

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SQL Server 2019 and Row Mode Memory Grant Feedback

Published 2025-01-23 by Kevin Feasel

Yvonne Vanslageren explains a solid feature in SQL Server 2019:

When SQL Server runs a query, it needs memory for operations like sorting and joining data. It also relies on memory during query compilation to hold intermediate plans while the Query Optimizer finds the best execution strategy. In parallel processing scenarios, the memory requirement grows even further.

SQL Server manages this by pre-allocating memory for each query through the SQL Server Operating System (SQLOS). This process ensures that no single query can monopolize the server’s memory.

Read on to learn more about memory grants, problems you can run into with memory grants, and one way SQL Server 2019 has improved to reduce the risk of bad memory grant estimates.

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The Contents of a Database Page in SQL Server

Published 2025-01-23 by Kevin Feasel

Simon Frazer takes a peek:

In SQL Server, data is stored in tables. Behind the scenes, however, these tables are divided into 8-kilobyte (8 KB) units called pages. Each page is 8,192 bytes in size, and this is a fixed value that cannot be changed.

Out of the 8,192 bytes, the first 96 bytes are reserved for the page header, which stores metadata about the page. This leaves 8,096 bytes for storing rows of data. However, a single row can only use up to 8,060 bytes, as 36 bytes are reserved for additional metadata, such as the slot array, versioning tags, and forwarded record pointers.

Read on for more information about the fundamental unit of storage in SQL Server.

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