Published on

March 5, 2010

Exploring SQL Server Management Studio 2008

SQL Server Management Studio 2008 (SSMS) is a powerful tool that offers a wide range of features to enhance your experience with SQL Server. However, many users are unaware of these features and do not utilize them to their full potential. In this article, we will focus on one such feature – the inbuilt performance and activity reports.

To access the standard reports in SSMS, follow these simple steps:

  1. Connect to the SQL Server instance.
  2. Right-click on the server node.
  3. Go to Reports.
  4. Click on Standard Reports.
  5. Pick any report from the list.

Once you access the standard reports, you will find a variety of reports that are commonly needed by users. These reports include:

  • Server Dashboard
  • Configuration Changes History
  • Schema Changes History
  • Scheduler Health
  • Memory Consumption
  • Activity – All Blocking Transactions
  • Activity – All Cursors
  • Activity – All Sessions
  • Activity – Top Sessions
  • Activity – Dormant Sessions
  • Activity – Top Connections
  • Top Transactions by Age
  • Top Transactions by Blocked Transactions Count
  • Top Transactions by Locks Count
  • Performance – Batch Execution Statistics
  • Performance – Object Execution Statistics
  • Performance – Top Queries by Average CPU Time
  • Performance – Top Queries by Average IO
  • Performance – Top Queries by Total CPU Time
  • Performance – Top Queries by Total IO
  • Service Broker Statistics
  • Transactions Log Shipping Status

These reports have been thoughtfully designed to provide users with quick and valuable insights into their SQL Server environment. Let’s run a couple of reports and observe their results:

  • Performance – Top Queries by Total CPU Time
  • Memory Consumption

SSMS also allows you to create custom reports, which we will explore in a future post. Additionally, you can export the reports to Excel or PDF formats by simply right-clicking on them.

Overall, the standard reports in SQL Server Management Studio 2008 can be a valuable tool for users who are looking for quick and detailed information about their SQL Server environment. If you have any experience using these reports or if you have any suggestions for additional features, we would love to hear from you.

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