Back 2 basics - SSMS Tips (IDf)

Dubi Lebel
D.B.A. = Don’t bother Asking
Dubi.lebel@gmail.com

Michelle Gutzait

gutzait@pythian.com
Michelle.gutzait@gmail.com

Blog: http://michelle-gutzait.spaces.live.com/default.aspx

out of scope…
T-SQL enhancements –
 The FILESTREAM datatypes

 The new DATE and TIME datatypes

 The new Merge command

 Table Valued Parameters

 Large UDTs

 User-Defined Aggregates

 Hierarchical data

 New Dependency Management

 Filtered Indexes

More topics – out of scope…
 Integration with Microsoft Office 2007

 Transparent Data Encryption

 Auditing data access

 Data Compression

 Security related improvements

 Database mirroring, replication, Service Broker

 Resource Governor

 Dynamic Development with New ADO , Visual Studio options and
Dot Net 3

 Entity Data Services (LOB and eSQL)

 Development of frequently disconnected applications

 Introduction

 Enhancements in Management Studio 2008

 The query editor and debugger

 Performance Studio (?)

 PowerShell integration (?)

 Activity Monitor

 Object Explorer Details

 Object Search

 Custom colors for connection

 Error when trying to modify table definition

 Speed Enhancements for SSMS

 UI Framework Enhancements

 "Open Table" enhancements

 Register servers at a central location

 Wizard for Table Partitioning Setup

 Service Broker UI enhancements

 Provides high-level perspective on what might be ailing your SQL Server., in
real time

 To run:

 Right click on SQL Server instance (Object Explorer)  Activity monitor

 Refresh interval

 Pause

 Sort and filter data

 Processes

 Shows all running processes

 Previous versions:

 Sp_who2

 Current Activity

 Right click on Process:

 Details – shows last running batch

 Kill Process

 Trace Process in SQL Server Profiler – opens SQL Profiler, tracing
only the specific SPID.

 Resource waits

 Provides a snapshot of key resource waits occurring on the server

 Measures the amount of time a worker thread has to wait until it can
gain access to a resource

 Helping identify potential resource bottleneck

 Buffer IO – waits for IO subsystem
 CPU – Waiting for CPU resource
 Buffer Latch – Disk to memory contention
 Latch – possible contention in internal caches
 Lock – waiting to acquire a lock on an object
 Logging – transaction logs
 Memory - waiting for memory resource
 Network IO – waiting for Network resource

 Data File IO

 Provides information about IO usage of database files

 Helps identify database/database files bottlenecks

 Recent Expensive Queries

 Provides information about most recent expensive queries

 Those currently in cache

 Right click on query:

 Edit Query Text - displaying the entire query (not just the small part
of the query you see in the window)

 Show Execution Plan - displaying a graphical execution plan of the
query

 Tool Tips throughout all the screens of the Activity Monitor

 Most of the data displayed in the Activity Monitor is from DMVs.
Many of the Tool Tips even tell you the name of the DMV used to
return the data you are viewing

 Querying DMVs

Process information SELECT fn.text,p.* from sysprocesses as p
CROSS APPLY fn_get_sql(sql_handle) as fn
ORDER BY spid

Top wait statistics SELECT TOP 10
[Wait type] = wait_type, [Wait time (s)] = wait_time_ms / 1000,
[% waiting] = CONVERT(DECIMAL(12,2),
wait_time_ms * 100.0 / SUM(wait_time_ms) OVER())
FROM sys.dm_os_wait_stats
WHERE wait_type NOT LIKE '%SLEEP%'
ORDER BY wait_time_ms DESC

Top files under load SELECT db_name(mf.database_id),physical_name,num_of_reads
Top files under load FROM sys.master_files mf
Inner join sys.dm_io_virtual_file_stats(NULL,NULL) as vf
on mf.database_id = vf.database_id and mf.file_id=vf.file_id
order by num_of_reads desc

Top query by Avg: SELECT TOP 10
[Average CPU used] = total_worker_time / qs.execution_count,
[Total CPU used] = total_worker_time ,
 Top by CPU  [Execution count] = qs.execution_count ,
Top by IO [Individual Query] = SUBSTRING (qt.text,qs.statement_start_offset/2,
(CASE WHEN qs.statement_end_offset = -1 THEN
Top by Duration LEN(CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX), qt.text)) * 2
ELSE qs.statement_end_offset END - qs.statement_start_offset)/2) ,[Parent
Query] = qt.text ,DatabaseName = DB_NAME(qt.dbid)
FROM sys.dm_exec_query_stats qs CROSS APPLY
sys.dm_exec_sql_text(qs.sql_handle) as qt
ORDER BY [Average CPU used] DESC

 Permissions

 To view the Activity Monitor :

 VIEW SERVER STATE permission on the server

 Permission to KILL a process

 sysadmin and processadmin fixed database roles

 is not transferable.


 In SQL Server 2005 - displayed the same information as in Object Explorer

 View  Object Explorer Details or F7

 SQL 2008 – screen includes more information. Examples:


 Right click on titles in “Object Explorer View” – there are more
details that can be shown in the window:

Any changes you
make are
automatically
remembered for next
time you come back to
this screen

 Object Search

 The scope of the search depends on what object has been selected in the Object
Explorer

 Can’t “jump” to the right location, only view properties

 Activity Monitor


 Object Search





 Security related improvements





 Handy for those who work often with multiple SQL Server instances

 Connect Options

Enable “use custom
color” option and then
“Select” a color

 Example

Development

Production


For example –
modifying column’s
datatype

 Might be a good thing for Production, but ….


 Solution:

 In SSMS 2008 - Tools  Options  Designers

 Faster communications between SSMS and the SQL Server engine

 Many little things are configurable: Tools  Options

 SQL 2005:  SQL 2008:

 Speaking of enhancements… Have you ever used these in SQL 2005…?

 A limited amount of rows is returned to the "Open Table"
dialog to avoid locks and load on server.

Configurable

 View  Registered Servers

 There are two kinds of registered servers:

 Local
 Unique to a user on the local machine

 Stored on file system

 SQL Server Authentication allowed (stores passwords)

 Supporting previous versions of SQL Server

 Central
 Stored in the Central Management Server

 Only Windows Authentication can be used

 Can be stored only in SQL 2008 database servers

 No special permissions required

 Exists in SSMS 2005 as well – Import/Export servers registration
 Go to the Registered Servers window

 Right click on Group



 Import/Export servers registration
 You can include User Names and Passwords in export file
(encrypted!)



 GUI for Table Partitioning Setup
 Wizard

Wizard

 Run immediately / script


 Easier setup of Service Broker. Provided Templates and
context menu in the object explorer

SQL 2005: SQL 2008:

 SQL 2008:

 Introduction

 T-SQL enhancments

 Enhancements in Management Studio 2008

 The query editor and debugger

 Performance Studio (?)

 PowerShell integration

 Multi-Server Queries

 Intellisense added to the Query Editor

 Collapsible window

 Customizable tabs

 Error list

 New Right-Click options on Results Grid

 Showplan - new options

 The debugger

 Query multiple servers at the same time, returning the results
to a single window

 Create a Server Group from the Registered Servers window

 Add SQL Server registrations to the group
 Supports previous versions

 Right-click on the Server Group and select "New Query"


 Disadvantage

 Need to create separate Server Groups for each subset, if not
all server are required in a query

 Multi-Server Queries – Example #1

 Multi-Server Queries Configuration options
 Tools  Options

 Multi-Server Queries – Example #1 (merged results = false)

 Multi-Server Queries – Example #2 (merged results = true)

 Multi-Server Queries – Example #3…
 Database DemoDatabase does not exist on (local) server:

 Database DemoDatabase exists on all servers:



 Collapsible window


 Error list


 Showplan - new options

 The debugger


 The query editor’s results can now have their tabs
set with customized names

 Switch to full screen view of SSMS

 Shift+Alt+Enter key combination

 To switch between different tabs (Editor,
Results, Messages) use F6.

 Error list
 View list of syntax errors as you type

 View the error list form:

 Error list
 From all active Windows

 Double click on error will set you on the code line


SQL 2005 SQL 2008

 Showplan – new options

 You can right-click a showplan graphic and see the
XML version of the plan

 The XML created by the showplan is now formatted
instead of showing as a large string

 You can right-click a graphical showplan and
extract the SQL query that generated it

 Show as XML – nicely formatted
• Easier to compare

• Easier to analyze

 Extract query of a saved Showplan

Open saved file

 The debugger

 Set breakpoints

 Step through code

 Step into code

 Set watches up to monitor variable values, locals
and the call stack

Woohoo!!!!

 SQL Server 2005 includes a Performance
Dashboard (reports – standard and custom)
 Displays real-time performance data

 SQL 2008 Performance Studio
 Collect performance data from multiple databases
and store them in a central repository
 Compare current and past performance

 Troubleshoot performance problems

 Track your custom performance metrics

 Provides a set of prebuilt reports

 Add your Custom reports

Architecture

Data Collection UI (Object Explorer)

Data Collection Collection Set
Configuration Reports

Management Data
Warehouse
Data Collection
Target Collector Sets

Data Collection
Target Collector Sets

 Two types of Collection Sets:

 System

 Mostly DMVs

 User

User Collection

 Data Collection UI

 Permissions: sysadmin permissions are required
System DC

 Example report

 Also:
 Disk usage
 Query statistics history
 Custom reports

 SQL Server Agent jobs created automatically
(more can be added):

 Job types:
 Data Collection
 Data purges

 Data Collector Set

 Create custom data collections

 Use Performance Studio as repository

 Permissions:

 Permissions to run Profiler

 Sysadmin on server to add the set


 Follow BOL
 How to: Use SQL Server Profiler to Create a SQL Trace
Collection Set

 Open saved file
in SSMS and execute

2 occurrences
in code

 Manageable from Object Explorer

 PowerShell is the .NET based automation engine that
Microsoft shipped in November 2006. It can:
 Have a MMC layered over the top as in Exchange 2007
 Be embedded into .NET applications
 Be used as a command line shell and scripting language.
 Available in 32 bit and 64 bit versions for Windows
2003, Windows XP and Windows Vista. Also
installable feature in Windows Server 2008
 It is now part of Microsoft’s Common Engineering
Criteria and will be incorporated into all major
products

 Supports more complex logic than Transact-
SQL scripts
 Implementations:
 Provides simple navigation mechanism
similar to file system paths
 Set of cmdlets, which are commands used in
PowerShell scripts to specify a SQL Server
action
 A verb-noun syntax, i.e. Get-Help.

 Usage:

 In command prompt

 powershell.exe

 In SQL Server Management Studio

 Right click an Object  Start Powershell

 In a SQL Server Agent job

 Step type can be Powershell

Questions?
Feel free to contact me:
gutzait@pythian.com
Michelle.gutzait@gmail.com

Back 2 basics - SSMS Tips (IDf)

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