In [Part 1] of this series, we explored the locking and blocking of SQL Server — what they are, why they occur, and their detection and prevention mechanism. In Part 2, we will focus on how DBAs can detect, analyze, and resolve deadlock scenarios in real-world workloads. You will learn how to leverage SQL Server’s built-in tools, interpret key system views, capture deadlock graphs, and apply strategies to minimize performance impact. Along the way, we will also discuss best practices and preventive measures to help ensure smooth concurrency handling in your databases.
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In the world of SQL Server, ensuring data consistency, and concurrency is critical — but it often comes with challenges like locking, blocking and deadlocking. These negatively impact on performance. As databases grow in size and usage, understanding how SQL Server handles concurrent data access becomes essential for any DBA.
In this first part of the series, we will dive deep into the core concepts of locks and blocks, explore how they work, and examine why they occur. Through real-world examples and practical scripts, this article aims to equip you with the knowledge to identify, analyze, and handle common blocking scenarios. Mastering these fundamentals will prepare you for the more complex topic of deadlocks, which we will cover in Part 2.
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