Overview
In order to monitor and improve performance for your SQL Server environment, you need to know what tools are available and how to use each of these tools.
Explanation
In this section, we will look at the following tools to give you an introduction as to what they are used for and how you can use them to collect performance-related data:
- Dynamic Management Views (DMVs) and System Catalog Views
- Profiler and Server Side Traces
- Windows Performance Monitor
- Built in performance reports in SSMS
- Query Plans
- Extended Events
Greg Robidoux has been working with databases for 35+ years with extensive hands on SQL Server experience from version 6.5 to 2025. He has authored over 250 technical articles and delivered several presentations online and at various conventions. Greg is also the President and founder of Edgewood Solutions, a technology services company delivering services and solutions for Microsoft SQL Server.
