When it comes to optimizing the performance of your SQL Server queries, it’s important to have the right tools and techniques at your disposal. One such tool that can greatly assist with performance analysis and troubleshooting is the specialized stored procedure called sp_PerfSQ.

Sp_PerfSQ is designed to provide on-demand details of query workload and throughput characteristics by collating information from various Dynamic Management Views (DMVs). It can answer important questions such as:

• Which queries are potentially exhibiting IO pressure?
• Which queries are generating a significant workload in Tempdb?
• Which queries are expected to sort a large number of rows?
• Does SQL Server estimate the query to exhibit a light or heavy workload?
• How can I tell if query performance is affected by parameter sniffing?

By providing insights into these and many other query performance questions, sp_PerfSQ becomes an invaluable tool for database administrators and developers.

One of the key features of sp_PerfSQ is its support for Query Shaping. Query Shaping is an optimization technique that allows you to construct SQL queries that take advantage of SQL Server behaviors and facilitate performant query design without relying solely on an execution plan.

The script generated by sp_PerfSQ provides a wealth of information, including:

• Session summary, behavioral descriptors, and current SQL query
• Basic workload and throughput metrics
• Locking, version store, and Tempdb usage
• Cached plan summary statistics and estimated plan
• Session origin and script runtime

By analyzing this information, you can gain insights into various performance factors such as CPU pressure, cursor dormancy, database maintenance activities, index coverage gaps, IO pressure, lock waits, memory grants, missing joins, page waits, spin loops, Tempdb workload, versioned long-running queries, and worker thread shortages.

Each of these factors can have a significant impact on query performance, and sp_PerfSQ helps you identify and address them effectively.

It’s important to note that sp_PerfSQ provides indicators of potential performance issues, and what constitutes reasonable or unreasonable delays will often depend on your specific business requirements. However, by using sp_PerfSQ as a starting point, you can quickly identify areas for improvement and take appropriate actions to optimize your SQL Server queries.

To download the script for sp_PerfSQ and start analyzing your query performance, visit the following link: sp_PerfSQ Script Download