SQL Tuning for SQL Server To Improve Database Performance

Why SQL Server Tuning is Important

Why is tuning SQL Server and queries so important and necessary? You may notice queries are running slower than usual, jobs might be failing, or you may be seeing high CPU utilization. It’s important to know what is causing your resource bottlenecks. You want to know what is causing your biggest pain points, but where do you start?

You can start searching for I/O bottlenecks and finding problem queries or creating indexes and partitioning tables. You can even add new hardware, but that may not solve the problem. All of these aspects of SQL tuning can be very daunting, but it doesn't have to be.

SQL Sentry offers a clear view of SQL Server performance issues to simplify database tuning.

Built-in performance reports
Preconfigured & custom baselines
Side by side performance metrics
Visualize poor performing queries
Uncover storage & resource bottlenecks
System resource usage stats

SolarWinds SQL Sentry can make any DBA's job of SQL tuning easier. View all of your most pertinent SQL Server performance metrics side by side in the performance dashboard or with built-in performance reports. It includes several reports that are useful when tuning your SQL Server environment from wait stats analysis to global server performance. You can even run a report comparing date ranges for baselines of your server’s long-term performance.

Tuning your configuration as well as your queries is an important part of maintaining a SQL Server database. Learn how the SQL Sentry can help!

Try SQL Sentry free for 14 days and see how much easier your SQL Server tuning operations can be.

Features for SQL Tuning

Baselines

Use preconfigured baselines, or custom baselines to quickly and easily discover your servers’ poor performing areas. Conveniently locate storage and I/O bottlenecks as well as system resource trouble areas all in one tool. With baselines, you can even pinpoint variations in server performance and begin SQL Server tuning efforts before you even experience performance issues.

Block Detection

With SQL Sentry block analysis, you get a hierarchical display of all blocking processes which provides the most thorough picture of blocks occurring on your SQL Server. Wait resources are logically and efficiently resolved so that you can view the tables or indexes that are being contended for with no manual work.

Capture Deadlocks

SQL Sentry also allows you to quickly capture deadlocks in an easier to read format than native tools. Capturing these deadlocks enables you to identify processes and resources which were involved in the deadlock event.

It can also determine which adjustments would have the largest impact and make the most sense when investigating SQL tuning options.

Integrated Plan Explorer Functionality

With integrated Plan Explorer functionality, tuning SQL Server queries is even easier, with in-depth query plan analysis. Execution plans are collected for captured Top SQL statements as well as retained historically which allows you to view the performance impact of different versions.

Plan Explorer also enables you to sort plans by highest cost operations to effortlessly see what plans may be leading to a performance problem, which can help you in your SQL Server tuning efforts.

SQL Tuning Can Benefit Poorly Performing Databases