TheSQLGuru (6/16/2011)
1) please tell the vendor that TheSQLGuru said they have their heads up their collective @sses. Also tell them that they need to get me or some other qualified consultant on board to review their database application for what is likely a HUGE range of suboptimal and out right bad issues. I just helped one vendor achieve a ~70% reduction in SQL Server waits and load from ONE SIMPLE CHANGE - and there is MUCH more to go with them!!2) NEVER EVER EVER leave a database file at 1MB growth factor!!!
3) Always try to figure out how big a database will be 12-18 months down the road (data AND index sizes combined) and make all files appropriate for that number right now. Monitor at least quarterly. Autogrowth should be an EXCEPTIONAL event, not used to manaage your database size by standard.
I'm a little late to jump on the band wagon here. I'm totally with Kevin on this one. I deal with a vendor that I had to train on these points. The vendor was actually a dealer for a major Point Of Sale system.
Their usual database setup was 1MB growth for both data and log files. Their usual maintenance plan had shrinking the database after re-building indexes at night. Ouch!!
These guys knew the app very well and were very well intentioned, but didn't have a clue about database setup or maintenance. After a few customer complaints on performance and me fixing only those 2 points - database growth and NOT shrinking the database after the index re-build, I've found that their usual installations are exactly what I recommended and we're all a happy lot now.
Todd Fifield