Sophisticated Tools For SQL Server Performance

Identifying performance drops in SQL server performance is no easy feat. Simple tools won’t provide you with in-depth reports and information that are required to find out issues in sophisticated database workloads. You need high end monitoring tools that extract metrics by going deep into the performance of the server and carry appropriate diagnosis.

These tools can be used find out what factors are needed to be taken into consideration. For example, if the SQL storage currently has SAN, depth queue setting of hba storage or other similar factor may need more optimization for the system to perform at its full peak.

Here are the top 3 SQL server performance tools:

1. SQL Suite from SQL Solutions'

There are multiple SQL server tools offered by SQL Solutions’. You’ll get Heartbeat, Deadlock Detector, Trace Analyzer and Ultimate Debugger and all of them are used for debugging and troubleshooting the server problems.

If you go for Trace Analyzer, you can use it to identity poorly coded lines and find solutions to performance database problems. The tool can also be used for monitoring of procedures that have been stored for long, I/O views and table identification and optimization of resource utilization.

SQL Heartbeat may be the right option if you want to find out why the system is not performing at its full peak because it can be used to find metrics that can’t be indemnified with standard measuring tools such as I/O, CPU and memory.

SQL Solutions’ Tool suite has all the options you need for optimizing your SQL server performance.

2. SQL Server Monitor

SQL Server Monitor or SSM is a part of AppManager Suite from NetIQ’s. This tool provides an overall monitoring solution for your server environment and also includes alerts and notifications.

The best thing perhaps about SSM is that it lets you experience how the server performs by making you an end user, which lets you identify problems and take appropriate actions effectively.

The server performance is analyzed down to the level of SQL statement. The tool also provides fault management reports and alteration options, which allows you to take care of the SQL data. You can also set alerts when the server reaches a particular threshold and automate the corrective actions. Real-time monitoring is done while the data is kept safe in the database for analysis at any time.

SQL Server Monitor can be tried out for free as a part of AppManager Suite’s initial trial.

3. XE (DB Performance Center XE)

The 24 hour monitoring tool from Embarcadero measures and monitors metrics that are vital to DBAs and also makes sure the database uptime is 100 percent. Some of the metrics include space, objects, memory, I/O. The tool also provides real-time and historical metric performance and detailed reporting.

The tool is scalable, and if you’re currently running a mixed SQL environment, XE monitors all of it so you don’t require multiple tools for the purpose.

It’s a solution that is agentless. You can also create reports for the executives and managers who would be interested in how the server is performing as a whole rather than the performance of each individual metric. The report can be exported into any format that you desire.

XE can also record SQL sessions automatically so you can troubleshoot problems as soon as they appear.