Microsoft SQL Server Consultant
Blog posts relating to SQL Performance Tuning.
SQL Server tuning is the process of optimizing the database’s configuration, queries, and infrastructure to ensure the system runs as efficiently as possible. The goal is to reduce resource usage, increase query speed, and improve overall system responsiveness. Performance tuning involves analyzing server performance metrics, identifying bottlenecks, and implementing solutions that range from hardware upgrades to query rewriting. These optimizations are crucial for maintaining a smooth user experience and supporting business-critical applications.
A key aspect of performance tuning is query optimization. Poorly written SQL queries, missing indexes, or incorrect indexing strategies often lead to slow query execution. By using tools such as execution plans and SQL Profiler, DBAs can identify and correct inefficiencies in SQL code. Techniques like index tuning, query rewriting, and partitioning can drastically reduce query execution times. Regularly updating statistics and reorganizing or rebuilding indexes further enhances query performance and ensures accurate query plans.
Beyond queries, performance tuning also focuses on the SQL Server environment itself. Configuring server settings, adjusting memory allocation, and fine-tuning I/O operations play a significant role in optimizing database performance. Monitoring tools like Database Health Monitor (available at DatabaseHealth.com) provide insights into server health and potential issues. Stedman Solutions offers comprehensive SQL Server performance tuning services, combining years of experience with specialized tools to ensure your SQL Server environment performs at its peak. Learn more about our managed services at Stedman Solutions.
After my CTE presentation at SQL Saturday 108 in Redmond, I was asked many questions, and received several great suggestions from people. Based on that feedback, I am updating my presentation for SQL Saturday 114 in Vancouver to include some additional content. One question was how does the performance compare between a recursive CTE to generate a hierarchical tree path …
After being approved as a speaker at SQL Saturday 114 – Vancouver BC, and SQL Saturday 108 – Redmond WA, I have decided to give it another shot at SQL Saturday 120 in Orange County California. I have submitted 2 abstracts for sessions: The first one is titled Unleashing Common Table Expressions in SQL Server, and if accepted this will be …
Sessions Submitted for SQL Saturday #120 Orange County CA Read more »
I am now getting back into things after the holidays. Today I fixed a number of small layout related bugs in the SQL Server health reports. The updated reports are now available for download. Here is a sample of the Fragmented Indexes report.
I just checked the schedule and 2 of the sessions that I submitted for SQL Saturday 114 in Vancouver BC on March 17th have been accepted. The first one is on Unleashing Common Table Expressions in SQL Server, and the second session is Using SSRS reports to analyze SQL Server health. This should be fun!
In preparation for an upcoming SQL Saturday presentation I have created another report to add to the FREE SQL Server Health reports project. The new Index Statistics Report is the 8th report in the series, intended to give DBA’s and database developers access to the information they need to analyze the health of their database. Here is a screen …
Index Statistics Report added to the FREE SQL Server Health Reports Read more »
In preparation for an upcoming SQL Saturday presentation I have created another report to add to the FREE SQL Server Health reports project. This report has been replaced with the Backup Report in the Database Health Project. The Backup Set Report has been added to the SQL Health Reports. The Backup Set Report is the 7th report to be added to the Database …
Backup Set Report added to FREE Server Health Reports Read more »
In preparation for a SQL Saturday presentation I have created another report to add to the FREE SQL Server Health reports project. The Database Size Report has been added to the SQL Health Reports. The Database Size Report is the 6th report to be added to the Database Health Reports package. The Database Health reports package is a FREE …
Database Size report added to SQL Health Reports Read more »
The CPU utilization report has been added into the SQl Server Health Reports. Here is a preview of the report.
After creating and deploying the duplicate indexes report earlier today I discovered that although the report did exactly what it says, it didn’t do what I needed. The earlier duplicate indexes report only found indexes that were an exact match on the columns. And that is useful to track down, it didn’t point out indexes that were similar, but had additional columns. …
After yesterdays Long Running Queries Report, I have decided to add one more SQL Server Health report. A duplicate indexes report has been added to the Server Health reports. With this report you can track down time waste associated with duplicate indexes. Here is a sample of the new free report. This is part of my growing collection of free SSRS reports to …