SQL Profiler and "Application Name=MyApp;"
Here's a great trick that can be really handy if you're a fan of the SQL Profiler. In your application connection strings add the "Application Name" keyword/value.
Example.
server=MyServer;database=MyDatabase;Integrated Security=SSPI;Application Name=My Application;
After this is done, fire up SQL Profiler and you'll notice that the profiled events are categorized under the name you provide rather than the default Data Provider name.
I'm a big fan of the SQL Profiler when looking for performance gains, and it certainly makes it easier when each application hitting your SQL Server is identified this way. Take it a step further and setup your Trace (using the Trace Properties) to save the profiled data to a table for easy
analysis at a later date.
Happy profiling.
Aaron Bjork