Anil Desai

Austin CodeCamp 2008

Anil Desai
Independent consultant (Austin, TX)
Author of several SQL Server books
Instructor, Implementing and Managing SQL
Server 2005 (Keystone Learning)
Info: http://AnilDesai.net or Anil@AnilDesai.net

I.

Performance Monitoring Overview

II.

Monitoring SQL Server

III.

Using SQL Profiler

IV.

Using the Database Engine Tuning Advisor

V.

Managing Processes, Locking, and

Deadlocks

Developing processes and approaches for

performance optimization

Best Practices:

Optimize for
real-world
workloads
Monitor/review
performance
regularly
Focus on
specific issues

Using various SQL Server features to

monitor database activity

Overviews of SQL Server usage

Can export to Excel or PDF

Server-Level Report Examples:

Server Dashboard
Memory Consumption
Activity All Block Transactions
Activity Top Sessions
Performance Batch Execution Statistics
Performance Top Queries by Average CPU
Object Execution Statistics

Examples:

Disk Usage
All Transactions
All Blocking Transactions
Index Usage Statistics
Top Transactions by Age
Schema Changes History

New reports added in Service Packs

Ability to use custom reports

Windows Event Logs / Event Viewer

Application and System Event Logs

SQL Server Management Studio

SQL Server Logs
Can configure max. # of log files

SQL Server Agent Error logs

Can configure logging levels (Errors, Warnings,
Information)

Using the Log File Viewer

Can Export / Load log information
Can search for specific errors/messages

Purpose:
Monitoring and troubleshooting
View server state and performance details
Returns relational result sets

Scopes:
Server level
Database level

Examples:
Database Engine
Sys.DM_DB_File_Space_Usage

Indexes
Sys.DM_DB_Index_Operational_Stats
Sys.DM_DB_Index_Physical_Stats

I/O Related
Sys.DM_IO_Pending_IO_Requests
Sys.DM_IO_Virtual_File_Stats

Common Language Runtime

Database Mirroring
Transactions

Data Collected:
System Information (MSINFO)
Windows Event Logs
SQL Server configuration

Command-Line Utility (SQLDiag.exe)

Stores output to files

Configuration file: SQLDiag.xml
Can run as a service (/R)
Can run in continuous mode

Monitoring SQL Server Activity

Purpose / Features:

GUI for managing SQL Trace

Monitor important events
Capture performance data / resource usage
Replaying of workloads / transactions
Identifying performance bottlenecks
Correlation of data with System Monitor
Workloads for Database Tuning Advisor

Examples:
Generate a list of the 100 slowest queries
Monitor all failed logins (Security)

SQL Profiler Terminology

Trace Definitions
Events
Columns
Filters

Creating and Managing SQL Traces

SQL Profiler (GUI)

System Stored Procedures (Transact-SQL)

Trace Templates (Built-In)

Standard (Default), SP_Counts

TSQL, TSQL_Duration, TSQL_Grouped,TSQL_Replay,
TSQL_SPs
Tuning

Groupings:
Event Categories
Event Classes
Events

Examples:

TSQL
Stored Procedures
Performance
Errors and Warnings
Security auditing

Specify the details to be recorded

Columns can be ordered and grouped
Values can be filtered
Examples of Columns:

StartTime / EndTime
TextData
Duration
Resource Usage (CPU, Reads, Writes)
Information: User, Database, App. Names

Interactive
Good for live monitoring of small sets of data

Trace Files (*.trc)

Can enable file rollover based on size
Server processes trace data option

Trace table
Will automatically create the table
Can set maximum number of rows

Scheduling of traces (stop time)

Launching SQL Profiler

Connecting to a database instance
Configuring output options
Create a trace definition
Specifying events, columns, and filters
Running and viewing a trace

Creating new templates

Scripting trace definitions
Extracting SQL Server Events

Transact-SQL Events
ShowPlan Events
Deadlock Events

Purpose / Goal:
Correlate server performance with database
performance

Process:
Define and start a counter log
Define and start a SQL Profiler trace
Import Performance Data in SQL Profiler

Required Trace properties

StartTime
EndTime

Can monitor local or remote computers

Performance Statistics:

Objects
Counters
Instances

Modes:
System Monitor
Performance Logs and Alerts
Counter Logs
Trace Logs
Alerts

Analyzing workloads to optimize physical

database structures

Can make performance-related

recommendations
Replaces the Index Tuning Wizard
Evaluates Physical Design Structures (PDS)

Indexes (clustered, non-clustered)

Indexed Views
Partitions

Numerous analysis options

Output

Generates modification scripts

Generates Reports for later analysis

Files

Transact-SQL Files
XML Files
Should represent commonly-used queries

SQL Profiler Trace Files / Tables

Use Tuning built-in trace template

Events:
Transact-SQL Batch
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)

Columns: Event Class and Text Data

Limit tuning time

Tuning Options

Allowed Physical Design Structures (PDS)

Keep all/specific existing objects
Maximum storage space
Online or offline recommendations
Partitioning

Reports can be exported to XML files

Report Examples:

Process:

Generate a workload (file or table)

Select tuning options
Run the analysis
View reports
Save and/or apply recommendations

Running the DTA:

Database Engine Tuning Advisor Application
(GUI)
Dta.exe command-line utility

Troubleshooting common SQL Server

performance problems

Processes
Interactive users
SQL Server Management Studio

Applications (Connection Pooling)

SQL Profiler
Database Engine Tuning Advisor
Replication
Service Broker

Process IDs < 50 are system-related

SQL Server Activity Monitor

Processes (connected users)

Locks (by Process / by Object)
Filtering options
Auto-refresh option

System Stored Procedures / Views

Sys.DM_Exec_Sessions
Sys.DM_Exec_Requests
Sys.SysProcesses
sp_who / sp_who2

Process Information
Current Process ID: @@SPID
Session Options: DBCC USEROPTIONS

Killing Processes
KILL ProcessID [WITH STATUSONLY]

Viewing Last Activity

DBCC INPUTBUFFER(ProcessID)
DBCC OUTPUTBUFFER(ProcessID)

Coordinates multiple accesses to the same

data
Ensures ACID Properties for transactions
(Atomic, Consistent, Independent, Durable)
Contention can reduce performance
Locking granularity:

Row-Level, Page-Level, Table-Level, etc.

Lock Modes:
Shared, Exclusive, etc.

Lock escalation

Blocking
When transaction(s) must wait for a lock on a
resource
LOCK_TIMEOUT setting (default = wait forever)

Locking Models:
Pessimistic
Optimistic

Balance of concurrency (performance) vs.

consistency
Affects SELECT queries
SET TRANSACTION ISOLATION LEVEL

Transaction Isolation Levels

READ UNCOMMITTED
READ COMMITTED (default)
REPEATABLE READ
SERIALIZABLE

Row-Versioning:

ALLOW_SNAPSHOT_ISOLATION
READ_COMMITTED_SNAPSHOT

Activity Monitor
SQL Profiler

Locks Event Category

System Monitor:
SQL Server Locks Object

System Views

Sys.DM_Tran_Locks
Sys.DM_Exec_Requests

System Stored Procedures

sp_Lock

Deadlocks:

Two or more tasks permanently block each

other based on resource locks
Default resolution is within 5 seconds

Deadlock victim

Transaction is rolled-back
Process receives a 1205 error

Example:

Process 1 locks the Customers table and

requires access to the Orders Table
Process 2 locks the Orders table and requires
access to the Customers Table

Minimize transaction times

Commit / Rollback transactions as quickly as
possibly
Avoid user-related time within a transaction

Access objects in a consistent order

Change the transaction isolation level

Use a lower level isolation level, if appropriate

Use snapshot-based isolation levels

Deadlock priorities:
SET DEADLOCK_PRIORITY (LOW, NORMAL, HIGH,
integer)

Deadlock resolution:
Lower priority is killed first
If equal priorities, least expensive transaction
becomes the victim
Application or user should attempt to re-run the
transaction

SQL Server Error Log

SQL Profiler

Locks Event Category

Lock:Deadlock Chain
Lock:Deadlock
Deadlock Graph

Events Extraction Trace Property

Export deadlock XML (.xdl) file

Viewing Deadlock Files

SQL Server Management Studio (File Open
SQL Deadlock Files (*.xdl)

Resources from Anil Desai

Web Site (http://AnilDesai.net)
E-Mail: Anil@AnilDesai.net
ReportingServicesGuru.com
Keystone Learning Course: Microsoft
SQL Server 2005: Implementation
and Maintenance (Exam 70-431)