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SQL Server - Have you observed DBCC SHRINKFILE operation performance, on huge databases?

Published 25 April 8 3:30 AM | SSQA.net

In general it is not a best practice to perform SHRINK database operation on a production server, atleast regularly! Sometimes it may be compulsory to keep them sized in order to ensure the disk storage is not compromised for any sudden changes to databases...

Filed under: sql server, indexes, memory, databases, cache, cpu, monitoring, operating system, huge, dbcc shrinkfile

SQL Server databases - checkpoint, cache and I/O request - what you need to know?

Published 22 April 8 1:51 PM | SSQA.net

Have you ever wondered about flushing databases? Well not quite possible to flush it straight away and not a best practice too on the live server, so what it is about and you need to know about transactions state when they occur. Say when the changes...

Filed under: sql server, performance, msdn, backup, blogs, database, transaction log, cache, i/o, flush, monitoring, checkpointl

SQL Server Memory - what's your method on Configuration and Troubleshooting Issues

Published 1 April 8 4:49 AM | SSQA.net

Memory - an important aspect of system performance within a RDBMS platform, not specific to a database product or application. Coming to Microsoft related products such as Windows Server and SQL Server so on, various resources available on web such as...

Filed under: sql server, performance, memory, cache, disk space, troubleshoot, system, best practice, raid, hardware, monitoring, configuration, baseline

SQL Server 2005 PERFMON counter spikes in Transactions/sec and Buffer Cache Hit ratio, what does it say?

Published 14 March 8 4:16 AM | SSQA.net

Recently I was involved in one of the Performance Audit exercise at a client's place where they complain about Server CPU is always HIGH and what they have observed is even the physical disk where TEMPDB is located has been used extensively, as they...

Filed under: sql server, perfmon, performance, dmv, cache, buffer, sysmon, tempdb, monitoring, temp tables, worktables, workfiles, ratio

TSQL to get current executing statements - SQL Server 2005

Published 12 February 8 2:27 PM | SSQA.net

Using SP_WHO or SP_WHO2 is a common way to get list of executing processes currently on the server, within SQL Server 2005 you could take advantage of DMV that lists currently-executing statements. select r.session_id ,status ,substring(qt.text,r.statement_start_offset...

Filed under: sql server, dmv, cache, sp_who, cpu, tsql, queue, execution, runnable

SQL Server 2005 TSQL to obtain buffers by object (table, index) in the buffer cache?

Published 1 February 8 6:30 AM | SSQA.net

As a programmer interacting with SQL Server's cache is not often needed, but when you do need to determine what is going on with the cache, or you simply need to flush the execution plans or data pages to tune a query, you now have the means to do...

Filed under: sql server, indexes, memory, dmv, cache, buffer, table, tsql, configuration

SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition - make data available while creating indexes on large tables!

Published 25 January 8 3:41 AM | SSQA.net

Though it is not a best practice to perform a CREATE INDEX on large tables during the online hours where you have number of users accessing the metadata of SQL Server database. Within SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition you can perform ONLINE indexes operation...

Filed under: sql server, performance, indexes, cache, users, tsql, best practice, backups, create, online, monitoring, operating system, busy, creation

Considering Parallel plans and forcing plans for better performance

Published 23 October 7 8:55 AM | SSQA.net

Parameterizing T-SQL queries are a well-known task such as database programming and best practice in some tasks. It allows query plan reuse and eliminates the need of recompilation for multiple invocations of the same query that simply has different parameter...

Filed under: sql server, performance, optimization, cache, index, cpu, partition, guide, parallel execution, force

Calculate size of an index for a new database?

Published 17 October 7 2:6 PM | SSQA.net

How can you calculate size of an index in a database whenever a capacity planning exercise if performed? By default the size allocated for each user objects depends on the user application and on the amount of space that is created by the application...

Filed under: sql server, indexes, database, dba, cache, best practices, tempdb, capacity, calculate

How to configure SQL servers to use certificates?

Published 3 September 7 6:50 AM | SSQA.net

Continuation to the BlogPost on issuing or configuring SQL Servers to use certificates, I have found useful reference on Technet blogs - Mr. Cert’s side of the story ....( read more ) Read More...

Filed under: sql server, security, cache, certificate, registry

List of CPU based DMVs in SQL Server 2005 - best used for hardware analysis

Published 5 August 7 2:32 PM | SSQA.net

Dynamic Management Views (DMV) are very useful to get server state information to monitor the status, but not always you have to still continue in monitoring using SYSMON & PROFILER that are available by default with SQL installation. The engine within...

Filed under: sql server, performance, dmv, cache, i/o, cpu

Support for SQL Server 2000 SP3a is ceased!

Published 11 July 7 7:34 AM | SSQA.net

The date has passed for those who are enjoying the supprot stay with SQL Server service pack 3a, Global Release Services (GRS) team has ended the mainstream and extended support for the installations that are lesser than SP3a. SQLReleaseServices announced...

Filed under: sql server, microsoft, cache, support, sp3a

SQL Server 2005 Query optimization issue : limit affected rows on a large volume table?

Published 10 July 7 5:40 AM | SSQA.net

If you have a huge volume of table (say millions of rows) and a requirement to limit x number or sample of rows from a query every time you execute. To limit number of rows then you would think about [ select ... from (select top 100 * from X order by...

Filed under: sql server, performance, query, cache, top, tablesample

DBCC CHECKDB flusing the cache!

Published 15 May 7 9:54 AM | SqlServer-QA.net (SSQA)

Well another cache related blog in a row since last few days! I have had weird issues on one of the SQL Server 2005 SP1 instance that, whenever DBCC CHECKDB is executed the performance of particular stored procedure ( complexed calculations ) has gone...

Filed under: sql server, management, ssis, security, ssms, perfmance, cache, flush, checkdb

What events will cause a flushing of plan in cache?

Published 14 May 7 7:17 AM | SqlServer-QA.net (SSQA)

We already know that using DBCC FREEPROCCACHE will have the affect of flushing all the cache with immediate affect and also DBCC FREESYSTEMCACHE (new in SQL 2005) has similar affect but will flush the plans asynchronously that are marked as unused anymore...

Filed under: sql server, management, memory, security, perfmance, plan, cache

Reset cached plan - how to and what to?

Published 14 May 7 3:53 AM | SqlServer-QA.net (SSQA)

I don't believe you would need to reset the cache on a production server, it is not a best practice to perform in this case. Most of the times in development or test environments for the purpose of benchmarking you would need to reset the cache for...

Filed under: sql server, package, indexes, memory, integration, perfmance, plan, cache

Taking advantages of Cryptographic features in SQL 2005 - security

Published 12 May 7 5:16 AM | SqlServer-QA.net (SSQA)

When I had a chance to know about encryption features in SQL Server I always go with books online as a first hand information, but there is more to ask about this feature in 2005 version: Have you ever thought about encryption in SQL Server, how to implement...

Filed under: sql server, integration, ssis, security, ssas, cache, entry

Cached query plans and top stored procedures that are recompiled

Published 11 May 7 6:2 AM | SqlServer-QA.net (SSQA)

We all know that the cached query plans are good to go to attain the performance and no doubt that inefficient query plan will cause more distress to performance with an increased spike in CPU consumption. At the same occurrence of recompilation of a...

Filed under: sql server, package, indexes, query, perfmance, plan, cache