SQL Server table partitioning provides a great way to manage a time-based sliding window.  By mapping each time period to an individual partition, old data can be efficiently purged or archived using a nearly instantaneous switch out of an entire partition.  However, there are a couple of aspects of a time-base sliding window strategy that require some thought and planning.   RANGE LEFT or RIGHT The RANGE LEFT or RIGHT partition function specification indicates which partition includes the exact match on the partition boundary.  It is especially important to consider both the RANGE specification and boundary value when the partition function data...

We have a number of de facto standards in our shop, such as always placing data and indexes on separate filegroups. I asked why we bothered with the separate filegroups since the underlying files were often on the same physical disks anyway. No one really knew why. The practice had been followed before the current DBAs joined the organization and has continued. This reminded me of a parable my boss told me several years ago. Five monkeys are placed in a cage with a step ladder leading to a bunch of bananas suspended from the top. The first monkey rushes up the ladder eagerly only to...