Install SQL Server 2012 Performance Dashboard Reports

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Problem

SQL Server 2012 Performance Dashboard Reports are Custom Reports which Microsoft has developed to quickly give an overview of the overall performance of SQL Server 2012 instance. Keep in mind that in order to use the Performance Dashboard Reports you don't need to install SQL Server Reporting Services. In this tip we will take a look at how to install and use these built-in SQL Server Reporting Services Reports.

Solution

SQL Server 2012 Performance Dashboard Reports can be downloaded from the following link: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=29063. The Microsoft Documentation states that "The SQL Server 2012 Performance Dashboard Reports are Reporting Services report files designed to be used with the Custom Reports feature of SQL Server Management Studio. The reports allow a database administrator to quickly identify whether there is a current bottleneck on their system, and if a bottleneck is present, capture additional diagnostic data that may be necessary to resolve the problem. The Dashboard reports basically retrieve information from SQL Server Dynamic Management Views and hence there is no additional overhead when using these reports."

Common performance problems that the Performance Dashboard Reports may help to resolve include:

  • CPU bottlenecks
    • What queries are consuming the most CPU?
  • IO bottlenecks
    • What queries are performing the most IO operations?
  • Index recommendations generated by the query optimizer
    • What are the potential missing indexes?
  • Blocking
    • What blocking is occurring?
  • Latch contention
    • What are the volume of latches?

Once you have successfully downloaded the SQL Server 2012 Performance Dashboard Reports then the next step will be to install the reports. Follow the steps below to complete the installation process.

Install the SQL Server 2012 Performance Dashboard Reports

1. Double click on the SQLServer2012_PerformanceDashboard.MSI and we are presented with the Welcome screen. Click Next.

SQL Server 2012 Performance Dashboard Report Welcome Screen

2. Next we are presented with the License Agreement screen. Read License Agreement and Click Next.

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Performance Dashboard Reports License Agreement

3. For the third step we are presented with a Registration Information screen. Enter your registration information and then Click Next.

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Performance Dashboard Reports Registration Information

4. In the Feature Selection screen accept the default selection and click Next.

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Performance Dashboard Reports Feature Selection

5. We're now ready to install. Click Install to start the installation process.

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Performance Dashboard Reports Installation

6. When you have reached this screen, the installation is now complete. Click the Finish button to exit the installation wizard.

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Performance Dashboard Reports Installation Completion Screen

Configure the SQL Server 2012 Performance Dashboard Reports

Once the Installation is complete, then the next step will be to configure the SQL Server to run the Performance Dashboard Reports. By default the Performance Dashboard Reports are installed in the "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\Performance Dashboard\" directory. Browse through the above mentioned location and double click the "setup.sql" file to open it in SQL Server Management Studio. Connect to the SQL Server 2012 instance where you want to install the reports and then press the "Execute" button or F5 to configure Performance Dashboard Reports.

Using the SQL Server 2012 Performance Dashboard Reports

Once you are connected to SQL Server 2012, right click on the SQL Server instance and expand Reports, then choose Custom Reports... as shown in the screen shot below.

SQL Server Management Studio Custom Reports

Within the Open File Dialog box choose performance_dashboard_main report file as shown in the below snippet and click Open to display the report.

Open Performance Dashboard Report RDL File

Once you open the performance_dashboard_main.rdl file using the dialog box, you're presented with the following warning screen. Click the Run button to display the report.

Run Performance Dashboard Report

In the below screen shot you will see a sample Performance Dashboard Report generated in SQL Server 2012.

Sample SQL Server 2012 Performance Dashboard Report
Next Steps


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About the author
MSSQLTips author Ashish Kumar Mehta Ashish Kumar Mehta has been contributing to the MSSQLTips.com community since 2009 with over 60 tips.

This author pledges the content of this article is based on professional experience and not AI generated.

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Comments For This Article




Thursday, February 16, 2017 - 1:53:52 PM - RaZendhar Back To Top (46416)

 HI Ashish, 

I am not from a DB team, but for testing wanted to monitor the server reports.

Do we need to run the setup.SQL in SSMS from my desktop or the SQL server itself ?
Raz

 

Friday, July 3, 2015 - 4:48:55 AM - John T Back To Top (38127)

Hi

 

Logged on to SSMS as domain administrator.  Have installed the app in the default location.  Have run setup.sql.  Reports->Customer Reports gives me an unhandled exception.  "Access to the path 'SQL Server Management Studio\Custom Reports' is denied."  Any ideas?

Tuesday, March 3, 2015 - 1:47:18 AM - Roberto Cavalcanti Back To Top (36410)
You cannot view the other reports but the main one, most probably because they are now all hidden files in the installation folder. In the 2005 version of this tool, the .rdls were all visible. In this version they are all hidden by default.
You can run the tool regardless, and the reports should open just fine inside of SSMS. If you do want to see the files, adjust their properties at the OS level, and make them visible.

Monday, May 5, 2014 - 11:25:36 PM - Dinesh DBA Back To Top (30617)

1)Database_overview 2)historical_io 3)missing_indexes 4)query_plan 5) query_states  .this reports are not presents.Only Performance_dashboard_main is present.Please lt me know how take this reports.

Thursday, October 31, 2013 - 12:30:07 PM - Chuck Back To Top (27355)

I have 2005, 2008 R2 and 2012 servers.  Will the 2012 download work for 2005 as well?  2005 isn't listed in the system requirements on the 2012 download site.  I have not installed the tools on any servers at this time.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 - 2:02:33 PM - jeff whittemore Back To Top (19577)

 

I get the setup.sql scripts to work in my instance but when I choose teh custom reports performance_dachboard_main.rdl and choose run I get this

The file 'Microsoft.ReportViewer.WinForms, Version=9.0.0.0, Culture==neutral,PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a' cannot be opened. Do you want to remove the reference to it from the Recent list?

Friday, April 27, 2012 - 5:07:09 AM - Ashish Kumar Mehta Back To Top (17148)

Dear Saravanan,

To view other report you need to click on the hyperlinks. For example to view Historical information click on Waits or IO Statistics links in the main report.

Regards
Ashish Kumar Mehta 

Thursday, April 26, 2012 - 9:17:13 AM - Saravanan Back To Top (17125)

Hello

I installed the performance reports not once, but twice. I get the performance dashboard main but not the others. Could you please let me know how do I get them?

Thanks!














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