Course Name: SQL Server 2014 Performance Tuning

Duration: 3 Days

Instructor: Jeff McBride

Instructor E-Mail: jeff@geeklearn.com

Prerequisites: SQL Server Experience

Course Overview

Accelebrate’s SQL Server 2014 Performance Tuning training class teaches attendees how to tune their indexes, database engine, queries, and other features to achieve optimal performance.

Course Topics

Performance Tuning Overview

• The Performance-Tuning Process
• Performance vs. Price
• Performance Baseline
• Where to Focus Efforts
• SQL Server Performance Killers

System Performance Analysis

• Performance Monitor Tool
• Dynamic Management Views
• Hardware Resource Bottlenecks
• Memory Bottleneck Analysis
• Memory Bottleneck Resolutions
• Disk Bottleneck Analysis
• Disk Bottleneck Resolutions
• Processor Bottleneck Analysis
• Processor Bottleneck Resolutions
• Network Bottleneck Analysis
• Network Bottleneck Resolutions
• SQL Server Overall Performance
• Creating a Baseline
• System Behavior Analysis Against Baseline

SQL Query Performance Analysis

• Extended Events Wizard
• Extended Events Automation
• Extended Events Recommendations
• Other Query Performance Metrics Methods
• Costly Queries
• Execution Plans

Index Analysis

• What Is an Index?
• Index Design Recommendations
• Clustered Indexes
• Nonclustered Indexes
• Clustered vs. Nonclustered Indexes
• Advanced Indexing Techniques
• Special Index Types
• Additional Characteristics of Indexes

Database Engine Tuning Advisor

• Database Engine Tuning Advisor Mechanisms
• Database Engine Tuning Advisor Examples
• Database Engine Tuning Advisor Limitations

Bookmark Lookup Analysis

• Purpose of Bookmark Lookups
• Drawbacks of Bookmark Lookups
• Analyzing the Cause of a Bookmark Lookup
• Resolving Bookmark Lookups

Statistics Analysis

• The Role of Statistics in Query Optimization
• Statistics on an Indexed Column
• Statistics on a Nonindexed Column
• Analyzing Statistics
• Statistics Maintenance
• Analyzing the Effectiveness of Statistics for a Query

Fragmentation Analysis

• Causes of Fragmentation
• Fragmentation Overhead
• Analyzing the Amount of Fragmentation
• Fragmentation Resolutions
• Significance of the Fill Factor
• Automatic Maintenance

Execution Plan Cache Analysis

• Execution Plan Generation
• Execution Plan Caching
• Components of the Execution Plan
• Aging of the Execution Plan
• Analyzing the Execution Plan Cache
• Execution Plan Reuse
• Query Plan Hash and Query Hash
• Execution Plan Cache Recommendations

Query Recompilation

• Benefits and Drawbacks of Recompilation
• Identifying the Statement Causing Recompilation
• Analyzing Causes of Recompilation
• Avoiding Recompilations

Query Design Analysis

• Query Design Recommendations
• Operating on Small Result Sets
• Using Indexes Effectively
• Avoiding Optimizer Hints
• Using Domain and Referential Integrity
• Avoiding Resource Intensive Queries
• Reducing the Number of Network Round Trips
• Reducing the Transaction Cost

Blocking Analysis

• Blocking Fundamentals
• Understanding Blocking
• Locks
• Isolation Levels
• Effect of Indexes on Locking
• Capturing Blocking Information
• Blocking Resolutions
• Recommendations to Reduce Blocking
• Automation to Detect and Collect Blocking Information

Deadlock Analysis

• Deadlock Fundamentals
• Using Error Handling to Catch a Deadlock
• Deadlock Analysis
• Avoiding Deadlocks

Cursor Cost Analysis

• Cursor Fundamentals
• Cursor Cost Comparison
• Default Result Set
• Analyzing SQL Server Overhead with Cursors
• Cursor Recommendations

Database Performance Testing

• Performance Testing Overview
• Capturing Data with the Server Side Trace
• Distributed Replay for Database Testing
• Summary and SQL Server Optimization Checklist