How can you identify areas for improvement through performance evaluations as a Database Developer?

Performance Tuning: Assess your skills in optimizing database performance, including query optimization and indexing strategies. Evaluate your ability to identify and address bottlenecks in database systems. Collaboration and Communication: Consider how well you collaborate with other team members, including developers, system administrators, and stakeholders. Evaluate your communication skills, especially when explaining complex database concepts to non-technical team members. Project Management: Assess your ability to meet project deadlines and deliver high-quality database solutions on time. Consider your time management skills and how well you prioritize tasks.

SQL Server provides good tools like the good and old Profiler - which until today was not replaced by Extended Events as said years ago. Query Store can also help you on tuning by identifying changes on query plan. Activity Monitor can show you how the resources are performing. Aside of that Microsoft has developed one good tool called PAL - Performance Analysis of Log, which easily analyzes log files and provides useful reports. Summarizing third party tools are always a good way to monitor a large number of instances, but for each one you can use native tools as well!

For specific troubleshooting you can use SQL Profiler to REPLAY a captures trace against an upgraded environment! It can help you analyze in advance and look for potential performance incompatibilities!

Keeping yourself updated is the most important and effective way to keep relevant in your area! Nowadays you have multiple ways to achieve that, since good web articles until SQL podcasts. If we consider the number of courses available for free and also paid it becomes almost infinite! If you like the academic world you can also go for some Data Bacharel. Data became one of the most important assets for any company, generating opportunities for all tastes :)

Collecting data to improve performance requires physical and application based monitoring. With a good plan in place on what needs improvement, specific data packages will be stored in separate locations with real-time data of the specific fields being monitored for analysis.

What I’ve learned after so many years working with database is: no matter how big or small the company is, you will have same challenges but in different scales! Database will always be database, no matter what kind of company you are working for! Keep yourself updated, have your useful scripts handy and mainly share your knowledge, being grateful and humble: you have no idea how it will help in your career! Good luck!!!