Is your database a pain in the neck? Are your queries slower than they should be? Are you sure you're using the right approach? You're not alone. Database development is full of patterns, techniques, and practices that most developers never learn. And sometimes, what seems like a good idea turns out to be an antipattern that costs you performance, scalability, or money.

In this session, we'll explore practical database patterns I've collected from some of Microsoft's largest and most demanding customers. We'll talk about indexes, query design, data modeling, transactions, concurrency, and the little decisions that make a big difference. We'll also look at common mistakes, approaches that don't scale, and techniques that can dramatically simplify your application. Some might surprise you. Others will make you wonder why you aren't already using them.

You will learn:

• How to choose the right database feature, write efficient queries, and recognize common performance antipatterns before they become problems.
• How to apply practical database design patterns for data modeling, transactions, concurrency, and reliable data access.
• How to recognize costly database antipatterns and apply proven techniques to improve performance, scalability, maintainability, and cost.