I recently collaborated with Microsoft PFE Daniel Janik to create a template to make the case for disk partition alignment. Perhaps your customers or stakeholders within your organization can benefit. This work was recently broadcast throughout PFE DLs...

<Note: 20081119: Deck updated w/ new graphics, perf metrics, & dynamic disk info> <Note: 20090225: Deck updated & moved to skydrive > <Note: See also Disk Partition Alignment (Sector Alignment) for SQL Server: Part 4: Essentials...

In my first post on Xperf , I described the simple 4.4MB download necessary to install the Windows Performance Analyzer (WPA) & the other tools which comprise the Windows Performance Toolkit (WPT), including Xperf. I was surprised to learn that...

The purpose of this post is to document Disk Partition Alignment Essentials. It is intended for engineers who are already familiar with disk partition alignment yet want a “cheat sheet”. As most of you know, partition alignment is an essential best...

This is the first of a four-part series: Introduction to Query Parallelism (this post) Flipping the Bit Expensive Query Identification & Remediation Summary Query Parallelism The SQL Server configuration option max degree of...

I’m frequently asked questions about which PerfMon counters to use & what thresholds to rely on. I’ve been amalgamating this information for years in the form of an Excel workbook: PerfMon_Counters_Digest_w_Vital_Signs_Correlation_v6.xls...

New! Improved! v.3.3.0 Now Available on CodePlex ! Preamble SQLIOSim Parser shreds the results of SQLIOSim.log.xml in seconds, allowing easier & more accurate interpretation of the output of SQLIOSim. SQLIOSim is a tool written by CSS Engineer...

The introduction of Dynamic Management Views (DMVs) in SQL Server 2005 provides us with all manner of wonderful information, much of which was heretofore difficult or even impossible to get. Yet I often hear confusion about their use. People ask, ...

Introduction This is the second of a four-part series: Introduction to Query Parallelism Parallelism Suppression: Analysis, Remediation, & Results (this post) Parallel Query Identification & Remediation Summary Executive Summary...

While at the PASS Community Summit in November 2008, I had the pleasure of attending a handful of excellent presentations. One of the best was delivered by Mike Ruthruff (& not just because he shilled for my presentation on disk partition alignment...

SAN Over-Subscription There are a variety of challenges related to I/O performance. One common problem is "SAN Over-Subscription", which is characterized by the the following symptoms: High disk latency and Low IOPs & Throughput As MS...

Introduction: The Classic Protocol, Amended Introduction My customers are often surprised to learn about the existence of a documented methodology for troubleshooting SQL Server performance. Though the document is well-known, many customers fail...

I’ve been aware of the buzz around xPerf for quite some time.  I flagged emails from Microsoft Premier Field Engineers Clint Huffman (author of PAL ) & Shane Creamer (author of Vital Signs ) who in internal DLs both cited the tool way back in...

Preamble For those of you who are already facile with SQL Server wait stats, there’s nothing new here. However, if you’re a n00b, this is a great place to start. History As I commented here on SQL MVP Jason Massie’s blog , I first became aware of the...

Background In a previous post I documented the importance of disk partition alignment as a foundation for optimal disk I/O performance. In the lab & in the field we’ve commonly found performance enhancements of 30% - 40% by a variety of metrics...

I've long been an advocate of the best practice of explicitly setting the transaction isolation level in my scripts. At my old day job as an enterprise architect I mandated that along with SET NOCOUNT ON , the preamble for all SProcs explicitly must...

Today Kevin Kline, Quest's #1 SQL guru, tagged me, challenging me to offer bits of wisdom to SQL n00bs—which I mean in a good way considering this describes me not all that many years ago. As I divine the lineage of the "Things You Know Now" thread, Mike...

I've spoken publicly several times this year to crowds large-&-small: TechReady 6 (an internal Microsoft conference) Indy Tech Fest ITT Commencement Last week was my first external international conference, the Professional Association...

Wait stats rock. As I shared recently with friends, when it comes to SQL Server performance, wait stats are the #1 arrow in my quiver, the first tool out of my toolbox, the Vera of guns (see the Firefly episode Our Mrs. Reynolds to divine that reference...

Yesterday I had the distinct privilege of delivering the Commencement Keynote for the graduating class of ITT Technical Institute Indianapolis campus to an audience estimated at 300. It took place at the Warren Performing Arts Center, a beautiful multi...

Say It Ain’t So! In my first post on Xperf , I described the simple 4.4MB download necessary to install the Windows Performance Analyzer (WPA) & the other tools which comprise the Windows Performance Toolkit (WPT), including Xperf. I was surprised...

It's a beautiful day. For years now the been hurry-up-&-wait icon has plagued our productivity; the whirling dervish demon of delay has been ubiquitous. This is in part a personal productivity blog, & I'm thrilled to bring you some great news...

Data Compression: Strategy, Capacity Planning and Best Practices Hot off the presses, the SQL CAT team has just published a new whitepaper for which I had the opportunity to provide a technical review. The author is SQL CAT best practices maven Sanjay...

Rendezvous With Destiny Forty-five years ago, Ronald Reagan aka Ronaldus Magnus spoke to Americans of our rendezvous with destiny . In a few short days the SQL Community will rendezvous in Seattle for the PASS 2009 Summit . This time last year,...

I'm a lucky guy. Besides the fact that I'm healthy, alive, & living on the planet earth "in interesting times" as the fortune cookie says, I had the opportunity to contribute to an article which appeared in the Green IT issue of The Architecture Journal...