Using ITWIZ.EXE to Automate Index Analysis

This process uses ITWIZ.EXE the command line version of the Index Tuning Wizard. SQL trace file information is stored in a table on production then transferred to a non-production server. ITWIZ is then run against the transferred trace data resulting in a UNICODE SQL script. This script has index creation and deletion information as well as script parameters in a remarks section.

How to Set Up a SQL Server Stress Test Environment in 8 Steps: Lessons

This article is the third in a series of four where I share my findings on baselining, monitoring, stress testing and performance tuning. It builds on the foundations of my previous articles on baselining and monitoring.

Detecting Performance Issues With Sysprocesses

Analyzing and detecting performance problems is a big part of a DBA's job and also one of the more difficult ones to learn. New author Terry Troisi brings us a few things that you can use the next time your server spikes to 100% CPU.

Slava Oks, one of the SQL Server developers...

Performance Implications of Nullable Columns

To null or not to null: that is the question. The specific focus here is performance implications of NULL versus NOT NULL columns.

You are looking to coorelate performance data with...

In SQL Server 2000, where are user defined...

Controlling Transactions and Locks in SQL 2000 and 2005 - Part 3

In the preceding articles of this series, Lock Granularity, Transactions, and ACID were introduced. Common lock types, such as Shared, Exclusive, and Update were explored, as well as using SP_Lock to obtain current system lock information. In this article, the normal internal SQL locking methods will be manipulated using Lock Hints in order to obtain finer lock control.

Why would the use of a GUID instead...

You wish to monitor performance on your SQL...