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SQL Server In-Memory OLTP- A key to consider for Performance Optimization.

Boosting OLTP Performance with SQL Server In-Memory OLTP A Practical Guide for High-Concurrency Systems: High-volume OLTP systems live and die by latency , throughput , and predictability . As concurrency increases, even well-tuned disk-based tables can struggle with locking, latching, and log contention. SQL Server’s In-Memory OLTP (also known as Hekaton ) was built specifically to address these challenges. Yet many teams still hesitate to adopt it—often because it feels “specialized” or misunderstood. This article explains what In-Memory OLTP is , how it works internally , and when and how to pitch it as a performance improvement option —with a practical, real-world use case. Why Traditional OLTP Systems Hit a Ceiling In highly active OLTP workloads, common performance pain points include: Lock and latch contention under concurrency CPU wasted managing locks instead of executing logic Transaction waits (PAGELATCH, LCK_M_*) TempDB press...
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SQL Server Configuration: “What NOT to DO”

  🚫 SQL Server Configuration: “What NOT to Touch” A Practical DBA Checklist to Avoid Self-Inflicted Performance Problems SQL Server exposes dozens of configuration options. Some are powerful. Some are dangerous. And some are frequently misused , especially under performance pressure. This article compiles a battle-tested “what NOT to touch” checklist for SQL Server DBAs and performance engineers—with reasons , real risks , and safe alternatives . If you’ve ever seen performance “fixed” by clearing cache, restarting SQL Server, or disabling parallelism—you’ll recognize these immediately. Why This Checklist Matters Most SQL Server outages are not caused by hardware or bugs . They are caused by well-intentioned but harmful configuration changes . 🔑 Golden rule: If you don’t clearly understand what a setting fixes, don’t touch it. ❌ 1. Lightweight Pooling (Fiber Mode) What people change sp_configure 'lightweight pooling' Why this is danger...
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Why Storage is the Silent Killer of SQL Server Performance: A Guide to Disk Optimization

In the world of SQL Server tuning, we spend a lot of time on index fragmentation, query plans, and memory allocation. But there is a "hidden parameter" that often dictates the ceiling of your performance: the disk subsystem. Even the most optimized query will crawl if it’s waiting on physical hardware to read or write data. If you want a truly high-performing SQL Server, you have to look beyond the code and into the hardware. Why Storage Matters So Much for SQL Server Performance? SQL Server is an I/O-intensive application . Even with plenty of RAM, SQL Server still relies heavily on disk operations for: Data file reads and writes Transaction log writes TempDB operations Backups and restores Index maintenance Checkpoints and crash recovery When disk I/O is slow, everything else slows down , regardless of how powerful your CPU or how optimized your queries are. 1. The Real-World Impact:  Latency vs.  IOPS vs. Throughput  To choose the righ...
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SQL Server Database Security Best Practices: A Complete Guide for 2026

SQL Server Database Security Best Practices: A Complete Guide Introduction: In today’s digital world, databases store the most valuable asset of any organization— data . SQL Server is widely used across enterprises, making it a frequent target for cyberattacks . Weak database security can lead to data breaches, financial loss, legal penalties, and reputational damage. This blog explains SQL Server database security best practices , common security issues, their impact, root causes, and how to prevent them using proven techniques and tools. Why SQL Server Database Security Is Important: SQL Server databases often contain: Personal customer data (e.g. Name, DOB, Mobile No, Address, Medical Details, etc) Financial records (e.g. Credit card details, Bank transaction details, etc) Business secrets (e.g. Business contracts between two organizations, its values) Login credentials (e.g. Username, password, etc) A single vulnerability can expo...
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