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Don’t Forget the Basics when Troubleshooting
So many times in talking with people using SQL Server they realize that the solution to their system performance, or the information they needed to dig into a particular problem was right under their nose.
We’ve seen cases where the right information was being gathered, the right tools were in use, the right approaches were available… but not put to use! If you’re chasing an issue, make sure you look into the things you’re already capturing when it comes to information about what may be happening. From performance counters to native tools, from application information and error messages to third party tools that help you pinpoint issues, be sure you pull the evidence from all available sources. You may be surprised to see that you have the information you need, already gathered and ready to review.
If you’re not gathering baseline information so you can compare against it later if an issue arises, you should start. Just gather some basic metrics like CPU utilization, disk counters and such – things that will give you an idea of how things look in the "normal" state. You’ll be able to use this information to tell you later where to start looking for a root cause for issues that may arise.
Without stopping and taking a step back to see what information you have available, you’ll be forced to chase down new information and perhaps significantly delay the resolution for whatever problem you may be facing. You can help too, by putting together a troubleshooting checklist. List the tools you have, the types of information they gather and where the information is stored. It will help jog your memory when the time comes.
Featured Article(s)
Tips for using alerts in SQL Server 2005
Here you can find some helpful tips to work with SQL Server 2005 alerts.
Webcast today: How to Hire a DBA Part 1 of 3 (at 12:00pm Noon Pacific)
Are you looking to hire a DBA? This 3 part series will help you in what you should look for. In Part one of this series we will talk about defining the role. Presented by: Chris Shaw
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Power Management Challenges
Are you working with power management in your data center? I know many data centers are working to reduce power consumption and put new operations in place, from hardware to procedures, to try to optimize for least power consumption. I thought this article on MyITForum was interesting – and it shows some somewhat surprising information about what’s really pulling down power.
Worth a look if you’re facing these types of decisions and planning points.
WEBCASTS:
We have some great webcasts coming up – make sure you get registered ASAP:
How to Hire a DBA Part 2 of 3
Are you looking to hire a DBA? This 3 part series will help you in what you should look for. In Part two of this series we will talk about reviewing a resume. Presented by: Chris Shaw
> Register Now
> 7/15/2009 at 12:00pm Noon Pacific
How to Hire a DBA Part 3 of 3
Are you looking to hire a DBA? This 3 part series will help you in what you should look for. In Part three of this series we will talk about the interview. We will finish up with making a decision on who to hire. Presented by: Chris Shaw
> Register Now
> 7/29/2009 at 12:00pm Noon Pacific
Featured White Paper(s)
Java Database Connectivity
Database connections are the lifeblood of enterprise applications, administrating the secure and steady flow of information b… (read more)