SQL Server Consulting, Education, and Training
Thanks for watching!
If this is the kind of SQL Server stuff you love learning about, you’ll love my training. I’m offering a 75% discount to my blog readers if you click from here. I’m also available for consulting if you just don’t have time for that, and need to solve database performance problems quickly. You can also get a quick, low cost health check with no phone time required.
Thanks for watching!
If this is the kind of SQL Server stuff you love learning about, you’ll love my training. I’m offering a 75% discount to my blog readers if you click from here. I’m also available for consulting if you just don’t have time for that, and need to solve database performance problems quickly. You can also get a quick, low cost health check with no phone time required.
Thanks for watching!
If this is the kind of SQL Server stuff you love learning about, you’ll love my training. I’m offering a 75% discount to my blog readers if you click from here. I’m also available for consulting if you just don’t have time for that, and need to solve database performance problems quickly. You can also get a quick, low cost health check with no phone time required.
When you’re designing the back end of a database, people will have all sorts of ideas.
Normalization, partitioning, referential integrity, and, usually, trying to figure out what to do when you have more than one client.
If your application is user-focused (like Stack Overflow), you don’t have to struggle too much with the idea of isolation. But when your application is geared more towards supporting multiple entities that have one or more users, things change. Sort of like how Stack Overflow manages all the other Stack Network sites.
Were you to ask me which model I prefer, it would be every tenant getting their own database. Your other options are:
It’s hard to see any real upside to those propositions unless you’ve poorly chosen a cloud solution with limitations placed on number of databases. Yes, I’m looking at you.
The problems you run into with everyone mixed in together are just far too grand, especially if the concept of permissions comes into play within a tenant.
If a single user can belong to multiple tenants, forget it. You couldn’t get screwed harder if you bought a time share in Atlantis.
Since we’ve discarded the lunchroom in Oz approach, let’s talk a little but about why the schema-per-tenant approach doesn’t work.
It doesn’t buy you anything from a maintenance perspective without dumping a whole lot of awful complexity in your lap. Worse, there’s no good tooling available to analyze anything in your database schema-by-schema.
Is your client in schema1138 unhappy? Okay, try to find out what’s going on with them in the plan cache or Query Store. I’ll wait. Look at how their indexes are used. I’ll be here. Wait stats? Blocking? Deadlocks? Hey, I’m comfy. Take your time.
Every client I have who started with this pattern has inevitably built a tool to move bigger tenants out to their own database to isolate them and figure out their problems, or move them to their own SQL Server instance. You will, too, if you choose… poorly.
While I hate SQL Server’s plan cache for finding performance problems, we are totally stuck with it as part of the query execution process. As much as I wish Microsoft would replace it with Query Store, they’re too busy trying to find ways to squeeze cloud customers for all they’re worth without the benefit of a lubricant to work on anything practically useful to SQL Server users.
So you end up with the same problem as you do with the database-per-tenant approach. Your plan cache has limitations on size and number of plans. When the same query executes from a different schema or database, a new entry in the plan cache is made.
This leads to a lot of plan duplication in there, and a lot of plans getting flushed out when those limitations are hit. The difference here is that it’s a whole lot easier to figure out what went raunchy for a specific database using Query Store than it is to figure out what’s gone sour in a specific schema in a specific database using… anything. Anything at all.
Perhaps thoughts and prayers are in order.
I’ve run into far too many clients struggling to keep the lights on with the all-in-one approach, and the schema-per-tenant approach. Especially with the all-in-one approach, you end up with something like a TenantId column in every table, and in every index, sometimes even filtered down to specific problem-tenants. It’s kind of awful to watch.
This is true of many different areas, whether it’s scalability, security/compliance, performance, RPO and RTO, and of course costs.
Some readers may call out things like log backups, and Availability Groups. Sure, I get that! It might be hard to get a log backup job to run across a bunch of databases every RPO-minutes. It’s also trivial to put groups of databases into multiple log backup jobs so that you don’t have to worry about that.
For Availability Groups, I’ve seen more than a few cases where they were falling behind because there were hundreds of schemas in a database all making lots of tiny changes. Keeping lots of databases synchronized is certainly more responsibility, but no less in danger of things falling dismally behind.
Let’s say you have 400 databases. That may take way more worker threads to keep up, but at least they each get worker threads to do that business. A single database with 400 schema in it doesn’t magically get a bunch of additional worker threads to keep data moving, and it’s foolish to think otherwise.
When you start with the more sensible approach — database-per-tenant — you give yourself many more options. You can move databases to new server much more easily, and you can have different databases on different tiers of service way more easily. Think Standard vs. Enterprise Edition, SLAs, RPO, RTO, HA and DR, etc.
And of course, you can charge extra for those additional services. Don’t worry, after a decade in the cloud, everyone is used to getting their pockets shaken for every additional nicety.
Thanks for reading!
If this is the kind of SQL Server stuff you love learning about, you’ll love my training. I’m offering a 75% discount to my blog readers if you click from here. I’m also available for consulting if you just don’t have time for that, and need to solve database performance problems quickly. You can also get a quick, low cost health check with no phone time required.
Spring TrainingThis September, I’ll be presenting my full day training session The Foundations Of SQL Server Performance Tuning for Data Saturday Dallas.
All attendees will get free access for life to my SQL Server performance tuning training. That’s about 25 hours of streaming on-demand content.
Get your tickets here for my precon, taking place Friday, September 6th 2024, at Microsoft Corporation 7000 State Highway 161 Irving, TX 75039
Here’s what I’ll be presenting:
Session Abstract:
Whether you want to be the next great query tuning wizard, or you just need to learn how to start solving tough business problems at work, you need a solid understanding of not only what makes things fast, but also what makes them slow.
I work with consulting clients worldwide fixing complex SQL Server performance problems. I want to teach you how to do the same thing using the same troubleshooting tools and techniques I do.
I’m going to crack open my bag of tricks and show you exactly how I find which queries to tune, indexes to add, and changes to make. In this day long session, you’re going to learn about hardware, query rewrites that work, effective index design patterns, and more.
Before you get to the cutting edge, you need to have a good foundation. I’m going to teach you how to find and fix performance problems with confidence.
Get your tickets here for my precon!
Register for Data Saturday, on September 7th here!
If this is the kind of SQL Server stuff you love learning about, you’ll love my training. I’m offering a 75% discount to my blog readers if you click from here. I’m also available for consulting if you just don’t have time for that, and need to solve database performance problems quickly. You can also get a quick, low cost health check with no phone time required.
Thanks for watching!
If this is the kind of SQL Server stuff you love learning about, you’ll love my training. I’m offering a 75% discount to my blog readers if you click from here. I’m also available for consulting if you just don’t have time for that, and need to solve database performance problems quickly. You can also get a quick, low cost health check with no phone time required.
Thanks for watching!
If this is the kind of SQL Server stuff you love learning about, you’ll love my training. I’m offering a 75% discount to my blog readers if you click from here. I’m also available for consulting if you just don’t have time for that, and need to solve database performance problems quickly. You can also get a quick, low cost health check with no phone time required.
Thanks for watching!
If this is the kind of SQL Server stuff you love learning about, you’ll love my training. I’m offering a 75% discount to my blog readers if you click from here. I’m also available for consulting if you just don’t have time for that, and need to solve database performance problems quickly. You can also get a quick, low cost health check with no phone time required.
One of the chief things my clients complain about when opening support cases with Microsoft is that the people working support tickets on the Microsoft side… Aren’t actually Microsoft employees.
They’re third party vendors.
When they end up working with a third party vendor, the lack of expertise and poor communication is obvious and painful.
Many support cases are handled by third party vendors, and my clients often complain that their staff has totally inadequate SQL Server knowledge to do the job.
Even when my clients do get someone from Microsoft, the person they get is juggling an enormous caseload. The truly knowledgeable folks are worked to the bone and scattered across hundreds of cases.
The amount of turnover in support roles at Microsoft is also pretty astounding. I used to know a lot of people who worked in them, and… they’ve all moved on to other roles.
At this point, you’re lucky to get someone with 18 months of SQL Server experience handling your support case. That’s a far cry from when 18 months was about the minimum experience you’d find.
The worst part? I have clients who have paid Microsoft upwards of $75k USD for support contracts, and they can’t get anyone to answer basic questions or help with basic troubleshooting.
If you want to read a Great Post™️ about how bad things have gotten, head over here: How to Survive Opening A Microsoft Support Ticket for SQL Server or Azure SQL
But you won’t get it any time soon from Microsoft.
They’ve cratered their once excellent support infrastructure and replaced it with a frustrating, pass-the-buck, often indifferent group of third-party vendors, and overworked internal staff.
The decline in Microsoft SQL Server support quality can have serious consequences for your business. Inefficient support can lead to extended downtime, data loss, and decreased productivity.
Your business deserves better, and that’s where I come in.
With years of experience in SQL Server management and support, I understand the complexities and the importance of prompt, effective support.
Here’s what I offer:
Don’t let declining support quality affect your business. Hire me to handle your support tickets and ensure that your SQL Server environment receives the expert care it deserves.
With my help, you can focus on what you do best — running your business — while I take care of the rest.
Reach out today to discuss how I can support your SQL Server needs and provide the expertise and reliability that your business deserves.
Together, we can ensure that your technology works for you, not against you.
Thanks for reading!
If this is the kind of SQL Server stuff you love learning about, you’ll love my training. I’m offering a 75% discount to my blog readers if you click from here. I’m also available for consulting if you just don’t have time for that, and need to solve database performance problems quickly. You can also get a quick, low cost health check with no phone time required.
This September, I’ll be presenting my full day training session The Foundations Of SQL Server Performance Tuning for Data Saturday Dallas.
All attendees will get free access for life to my SQL Server performance tuning training. That’s about 25 hours of streaming on-demand content.
Get your tickets here for my precon, taking place Friday, September 6th 2024, at Microsoft Corporation 7000 State Highway 161 Irving, TX 75039
Here’s what I’ll be presenting:
Session Abstract:
Whether you want to be the next great query tuning wizard, or you just need to learn how to start solving tough business problems at work, you need a solid understanding of not only what makes things fast, but also what makes them slow.
I work with consulting clients worldwide fixing complex SQL Server performance problems. I want to teach you how to do the same thing using the same troubleshooting tools and techniques I do.
I’m going to crack open my bag of tricks and show you exactly how I find which queries to tune, indexes to add, and changes to make. In this day long session, you’re going to learn about hardware, query rewrites that work, effective index design patterns, and more.
Before you get to the cutting edge, you need to have a good foundation. I’m going to teach you how to find and fix performance problems with confidence.
Get your tickets here for my precon!
Register for Data Saturday, on September 7th here!
If this is the kind of SQL Server stuff you love learning about, you’ll love my training. I’m offering a 75% discount to my blog readers if you click from here. I’m also available for consulting if you just don’t have time for that, and need to solve database performance problems quickly. You can also get a quick, low cost health check with no phone time required.