sp_Blitz, sp_BlitzCache, sp_BlitzFirst, sp_BlitzIndex, and other SQL Server scripts for health checks and performance tuning.
New this month: better sp_BlitzIndex performance on databases with tens of thousands of objects, sp_DatabaseRestore can run test scripts, and David Wiseman and Sean Killeen implemented basic automated testing for the First Responder Kit.
To get the new version:
When you find a bug or want something changed, read the contributing.md file.
When you have a question about what the scripts found, first make sure you read the "More Details" URL for any warning you find. We put a lot of work into documentation, and we wouldn't want someone to yell at you to go read the fine manual. After that, when you've still got questions about how something works in SQL Server, post a question at DBA.StackExchange.com and the community (that includes me!) will help. Include exact errors and any applicable screenshots, your SQL Server version number (including the build #), and the version of the tool you're working with.
New this month: more work on letting sp_Blitz run with limited permissions, nicer Markdown output, sp_BlitzLock compatibility with Managed Instances, and more.
To get the new version:
When you find a bug or want something changed, read the contributing.md file.
When you have a question about what the scripts found, first make sure you read the "More Details" URL for any warning you find. We put a lot of work into documentation, and we wouldn't want someone to yell at you to go read the fine manual. After that, when you've still got questions about how something works in SQL Server, post a question at DBA.StackExchange.com and the community (that includes me!) will help. Include exact errors and any applicable screenshots, your SQL Server version number (including the build #), and the version of the tool you're working with.
The last couple of releases have focused on running sp_Blitz with limited permissions, like not being able to see inside some user databases. Those efforts continue this month with a lot of work from Montro1981.
To get the new version:
This one's a little tricky: the result set IS the top X queries with the most duplicated plans in cache, however, the list isn't sorted by that. It's sorted by CPU by default. Also:
When you find a bug or want something changed, read the contributing.md file.
When you have a question about what the scripts found, first make sure you read the "More Details" URL for any warning you find. We put a lot of work into documentation, and we wouldn't want someone to yell at you to go read the fine manual. After that, when you've still got questions about how something works in SQL Server, post a question at DBA.StackExchange.com and the community (that includes me!) will help. Include exact errors and any applicable screenshots, your SQL Server version number (including the build #), and the version of the tool you're working with.
Turns out y'all actually work over the summer - there are actually cool new features this month! I think I'm actually going to have to record updated sp_BlitzIndex, sp_BlitzLock, and sp_BlitzQueryStore modules for my "How I Use the First Responder Kit" class because these features are pretty awesome.
To get the new version:
And in that result set, the size of the secondary dictionary (if required) for a column is now included in its size. Here's the Users.DisplayName column before - note the sizes in the far right:
Now, with the secondary dictionary size included, the DisplayName column's true size shows up as being dramatically larger because the strings are relatively unique and don't compress well:
When you find a bug or want something changed, read the contributing.md file.
When you have a question about what the scripts found, first make sure you read the "More Details" URL for any warning you find. We put a lot of work into documentation, and we wouldn't want someone to yell at you to go read the fine manual. After that, when you've still got questions about how something works in SQL Server, post a question at DBA.StackExchange.com and the community (that includes me!) will help. Include exact errors and any applicable screenshots, your SQL Server version number (including the build #), and the version of the tool you're working with.
This one's a pretty quiet release: just bug fixes in sp_Blitz, sp_BlitzLock, and sp_DatabaseRestore.
To get the new version:
When you find a bug or want something changed, read the contributing.md file.
When you have a question about what the scripts found, first make sure you read the "More Details" URL for any warning you find. We put a lot of work into documentation, and we wouldn't want someone to yell at you to go read the fine manual. After that, when you've still got questions about how something works in SQL Server, post a question at DBA.StackExchange.com and the community (that includes me!) will help. Include exact errors and any applicable screenshots, your SQL Server version number (including the build #), and the version of the tool you're working with.
This month's big changes are performance tuning in sp_BlitzFirst & sp_BlitzLock.
Part of the benefits of using the open source FRK is that when any of us work with really big/fast/ugly servers, we tune the FRK procs to work better in those environments - which means it'll likely work better in yours, too. For example, this month I was working with a server doing 30k-35k queries/sec and hitting threadpool issues, and I wanted sp_BlitzFirst to return more quickly in that kind of environment, so I tuned it.
To get the new version:
When you find a bug or want something changed, read the contributing.md file.
When you have a question about what the scripts found, first make sure you read the "More Details" URL for any warning you find. We put a lot of work into documentation, and we wouldn't want someone to yell at you to go read the fine manual. After that, when you've still got questions about how something works in SQL Server, post a question at DBA.StackExchange.com and the community (that includes me!) will help. Include exact errors and any applicable screenshots, your SQL Server version number (including the build #), and the version of the tool you're working with.
Thanks to this technique to run SQL Server on Apple Silicon chips, I'm now developing exclusively on my Mac! I've been using a Mac for over 15 years, but in the past, I've always used Windows at some layer somewhere. This time around, it's all Mac the whole way down, which is kinda nifty. Makes my release process easier.
To get the new version:
When you find a bug or want something changed, read the contributing.md file.
When you have a question about what the scripts found, first make sure you read the "More Details" URL for any warning you find. We put a lot of work into documentation, and we wouldn't want someone to yell at you to go read the fine manual. After that, when you've still got questions about how something works in SQL Server, post a question at DBA.StackExchange.com and the community (that includes me!) will help. Include exact errors and any applicable screenshots, your SQL Server version number (including the build #), and the version of the tool you're working with.
Santa's elves took a break from building toys and shipped a new version of the First Responder Kit. There are some great improvements in here, like a makeover for sp_BlitzLock and much better PSPO compatibility for sp_BlitzCache.
To get the new version:
When you find a bug or want something changed, read the contributing.md file.
When you have a question about what the scripts found, first make sure you read the "More Details" URL for any warning you find. We put a lot of work into documentation, and we wouldn't want someone to yell at you to go read the fine manual. After that, when you've still got questions about how something works in SQL Server, post a question at DBA.StackExchange.com and the community (that includes me!) will help. Include exact errors and any applicable screenshots, your SQL Server version number (including the build #), and the version of the tool you're working with.
Spooky scary sp_eletons, send shivers down my spine. There's nothing scary in here, though, just the never-ending march of small improvements to help more people, catch more problems, on more servers.
To get the new version:
When you find a bug or want something changed, read the contributing.md file.
When you have a question about what the scripts found, first make sure you read the "More Details" URL for any warning you find. We put a lot of work into documentation, and we wouldn't want someone to yell at you to go read the fine manual. After that, when you've still got questions about how something works in SQL Server, post a question at DBA.StackExchange.com and the community (that includes me!) will help. Include exact errors and any applicable screenshots, your SQL Server version number (including the build #), and the version of the tool you're working with.
Summer has turned the corner. Sure, right now the First Responder Kit is wearing its swimsuit, basking in the sun, but already as we speak, the days are getting shorter. It's only going to be a matter of time before the Pumpkin Spice release of the First Responder Kit. Go outside and take a walk, work on your tan while you still can.
To get the new version:
When you find a bug or want something changed, read the contributing.md file.
When you have a question about what the scripts found, first make sure you read the "More Details" URL for any warning you find. We put a lot of work into documentation, and we wouldn't want someone to yell at you to go read the fine manual. After that, when you've still got questions about how something works in SQL Server, post a question at DBA.StackExchange.com and the community (that includes me!) will help. Include exact errors and any applicable screenshots, your SQL Server version number (including the build #), and the version of the tool you're working with.