As Joey explains, Activity Monitor consumes a lot of resources and yields little usable data. Here are some third-party alternatives. I get to work with a lot of customers, so I get to see a lot of ...

A common task that all database and system administrators face is patching systems. Patching your systems is very important -- first and foremost, security fixes are included in patches. Patches also ...

When it comes to improving the performance of database systems, there are nearly as many approaches as there are DBA (database administrator) teams. That might sound acceptable at first glance. But, ...

OK, I’ll admit it. I’m not a DBA, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t overseen databases and their performance. I was (and probably still am) the guy who installed a Microsoft SQL database by hitting Next ...

The better your SQL database performs, the more effectively it will fulfill its purpose of providing information to the apps and services that rely upon it to function. Optimizing database performance ...

When you use index views in the right situations, they can dramatically improve the performance of SQL Server queries. Tim Chapman explains why performance testing is the best way to tell if indexed ...

For developers working with SQL Server, few performance tuning techniques are as essential--or as frequently misunderstood--as indexing. Done right, indexing can drastically improve application ...

At Microsoft's Ignite digital event this week, the company is announcing the private preview of SQL Server 2022, the next version of its three-decades-old relational database management system (RDBMS) ...