Some reasons for the slow-running of database applications aren't obvious. Occasionally, even the profiler won't tell you enough to remedy a problem, especially when a SQL Statement is being forced to wait. Now, in SQL Server 2008, come XEvents, which allow you to look at those waits that are slowing your SQL Statements. Mario Broodbakker continues his series about SQL Server Wait Events  Read more...

This article presents an excerpt from the book, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services Step by Step, by Stacia Misner and Hitachi Consulting. Learn how to monitor reporting services by implementing an execution logging database and reviewing reports that query that database.  Read more...

Database developers need to write stored procedures which are not only fully functional, but also which perform acceptably. This article concentrates on some of the counters used to measure performance and analyses methods of capturing these counters.  Read more...

SQL Server MVP Kevin Kline focuses on PerfMon counters for SQL Server and shares best practices for tracking IO intensive access methods and buffer manager activity.  Read more...

This article looks at the new Management Data Warehouse (MDW) that is incorporated into SQL Server 2008. This warehouse is performance analysis and capacity planning tool for DBAs. This article will discuss the basic architecture of the MDW and how to set it up using a wizard.  Read more...

Learn how to use SQL Server PerfMon counters to track Windows memory. SQL Server MVP Kevin Kline explains the maximum numbers to watch for when using PerfMon memory counters.  Read more...

In this article I'll show how to create a PerfMon counters log file and SQL Profiler Trace file, how to read them both and how to correlate the two files in SQL Profiler.  Read more...

In a new DBA role, Daryl Quadros brings us a list of the first tasks you should perform.  Read more...