Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2008 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies®

IX.B.8. My Database Server Is Too Slow!

Before you toss your slow-running database server out the window, you can run a few effortless checks to identify and remedy the source of the headache.

• Are your tables indexed correctly? Without a doubt, improper or missing indexes cause most of the performance problems that plague the average database application. Take the time to ensure that you've placed indexes in the right places. Book VII, Chapter 3 is a great place to start on the path to good indexing.

• Is there enough memory? Don't shortchange your database server by denying it the memory it needs to get the job done quickly. You can tell if you're running out of memory by launching the Windows Task Manager and viewing the amount of available physical memory. If this number is approaching zero, you're asking your server to do too much work with too little memory.

• Are there too many users and applications? Sometimes, no matter how much memory you install, or how well your tables are indexed, you approach the limit of what a database server can handle. There's no hard-and-fast way to tell whether you're on the brink, but if you've exhausted all your options and you can't coax any more speed from your server, then distribute your workload among multiple servers.

• Are you taking advantage of SQL Server's performance tools? There's no need to guess about what's causing a responsiveness problem because SQL Server offers a collection of excellent performance monitoring and management tools. ...