What you'll learn

When you experience a performance problem, how can you easily tell where the problem is without being able to compare against a known-good set of measurements? This course explains how to create a performance baseline for a SQL Server instance using benchmarking techniques. The course begins by exploring the reasons for benchmarking and baselining, along with how to decide what to capture, when and how often to capture it, and where to store it. It then explains how to use the Performance Monitor tool in detail, along with how to capture query information using SQL Trace and Extended Events, and then analyze that information using the free Clear Trace and ReadTrace tools. After that it describes and demonstrates the multitude of Dynamic Management Views that can be used to gather information about SQL Server, before ending with a summary that pulls all the modules together. This course is perfect for those with no experience of benchmarking and baselining, and those with some experience but who want to solidify their understanding of creating and using benchmarks and baselines. The information in the course applies to all versions from SQL Server 2005 onwards.