How to check your SQL Server Performance using new Utility Performance Dashboard Reports ?

Hello friends,
I know after reading the post title you are very excited to know more, even I was excited too to know more for this topic which I like very much.
Microsoft Introduced Performance Dashboard Utility reports which help us in finding the cause of low performance of our SQL Server Database.
You can download the performance Dashboard utility reports setup from below link
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=1d3a4a0d-7e0c-4730-8204-e419218c1efc
When you install this installer you will find a new folder is created with Performance Dashboard name in tools folder of Microsoft SQL SERVER (“C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Tools\PerformanceDashboard”)
Now when you open this folder you will get many RDL files.
Next question is how to use it so here we go.
1) Firstly run the script with name “setup.sql “ from Performance Dashboard folder (“C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Tools\PerformanceDashboard”)

2) Now open our SQL Server Management studio
3) Open object explorer
4) Right click on the server select reports option then select standard reports as shown in below fig

5) Now select Performance_dashboard _main.rdl report
6) When you select this report you will find following screen


Great it means you are able to see performance dashboard report.
The performance dashboard report gives you following result
1) First graph of report shows System CPU utilization (With the help of this you can find how much CPU utilization done by SQL)
2) Just Below the CPU utilization graph you can see current Activity (CPU consumption time, wait time) We can see detail with two parameter either by User Session or User request (When you click on the header of the grid you will get different report)
3) Below this we have miscellaneous information which will give basic information like number of database currently on server, active trace etc.
4) Waiting log just right side of CPU utilization graph which shows different wait type for SQL
5) Below that one more tabular grid there which shows historical records of SQL according to different criteria like waits, IO Statics
6) Expensive SQL report with different parameters like BY CPU, BY Duration, BY Logical Reads, BY Logical Writes etc.
Checks out there are many more feature reports.

So with these different reports we can find where we are lacking. Where is the problem?

My personal feeling is the utility is good to finding the performance counter but it will not provide any suggestion and solution to improve performance.
So why are you waiting?
Just download and enjoy the performance dashboard.
Have fun with reports in weekends: D.
Thanks & Regards
Rajat Jaiswal

Check Best Practices with SQL SERVER with Best Practices Analyzer (BPA)

Hello Friends,
We always heard that we should adopt Best Practices in SQL Server and most of the time we tried our best to adopt best practices in our work but the problem is who will analyze the best practices which we did for our database ,SQL Server.
Hmm, that’s the point my dear friends but don’t worry on this part also because Microsoft introduce BPA (Best Practice Analyzer).
I tried this tool recently it is easy to use. It scans your database, SQL SERVER and provides you the best way to adopt Best Practices with your current structure.
You can download the installer of this tool from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyId=da0531e4-e94c-4991-82fa-f0e3fbd05e63
After install this BPA utility you can easily scan your SQL SERVER, Databases with this.

The BPA will provide you report of scan. The scan report will give you idea about what is missing, what need to do?
Below are some listed options which BPA raised after scan report
1) Backup is latest or is it out dated?
2) Database having any anomalies.
3) Database integrity check required or not?
4) Check Disk IO delay problem
5) Backup should be on separate volume
6) Bulletin\Administrators in sysAdmin Role
7) Set Page verify option
8) SQL Login Password policy violation
9) Database is not in full recovery mode
Although some of the warning in the above list which we can ignore according to our business need.
And many more issues to make SQL Server database robust just check below report snap.

As per my opinion the tool is good but need some more functionality or utility to manage and apply
Best practices. So why you people waiting just download, install and use.
Make your database robust with best practices.


Enjoy Best Practices.

Thanks & Regards
Rajat Jaiswal