Performance Monitoring and Tuning How-to Topics

There are a variety of tools and techniques that can be used to monitor Microsoft SQL Server. Understanding how to monitor SQL Server can help you:

• Determine whether performance improvements can be made.

• Determine user activity to find out what queries users are issuing and who is connecting to SQL Server.

• Troubleshoot problems.

• Test applications.

In This Section

This section contains information about how to use SQL Server performance monitoring and tuning tools.

• Server Performance and Activity Monitoring How-to Topics
  Contains information about using Microsoft Windows tools, SQL Server Management Studio, SQL Trace, and SQL Server Profiler to capture information about SQL Server events to troubleshoot performance problems.

• Database Engine Tuning Advisor How-to Topics
  Contains information about how to use Database Engine Tuning Advisor to tune the physical SQL Server database design.

• Execution Plan How-to Topics
  Contains information about using the graphical Showplan feature of SQL Server Management Studio.