text: -- source: http://www.brentozar.com/archive/2014/02/count-number-rows-table-sql-server/
  DECLARE @TableName sysname
  SET @TableName = 'bigTransactionHistory'
  
  SELECT TBL.object_id, TBL.name, SUM(PART.rows) AS rows
  FROM sys.tables TBL
  INNER JOIN sys.partitions PART ON TBL.object_id = PART.object_id
  INNER JOIN sys.indexes IDX ON PART.object_id = IDX.object_id
  AND PART.index_id = IDX.index_id
  WHERE TBL.name = @TableName
  AND IDX.index_id < 2
  GROUP BY TBL.object_id, TBL.name;
  
  
  DECLARE @TableName sysname
  SET @TableName = 'bigTransactionHistory'
  
  SELECT OBJECT_NAME(object_id), SUM(row_count) AS rows
  FROM sys.dm_db_partition_stats
  WHERE object_id = OBJECT_ID(@TableName)
  AND index_id < 2
  GROUP BY OBJECT_NAME(object_id);