What do you do if you want to become an expert in database performance monitoring and tuning?

The core of learning to tune code in any language is understanding the capabilities and features available in the language. For databases, learning the ways in which you can structure code is important. While SQL is a fairly standard language, there are enhancements and additions in the different implementations that are important to producing efficient code. Therefore, you need to focus on understanding the latest capabilities in T-SQL for SQL Server if that is your platform. If you work on Oracle systems, then you need to learn PL/SQL. There are good courses available, but to really become proficient in SQL, solve problems. Pick questions ask on sqlservercentral.com or stackoverflow.com and build a solution.

?? Exciting journey ahead! ?? To become an expert in database performance monitoring and tuning: 1?? Educate Yourself: Dive into core database concepts. Online courses and certifications from Oracle, Microsoft, or AWS can be great resources. 2?? Practical Experience: Apply your knowledge in real-world scenarios. Internships or projects can provide hands-on experience. 3?? Master Tools: Learn to use tools like Oracle Enterprise Manager, SQL Server Profiler, and Prometheus for monitoring and tuning. 4?? Stay Updated: Database technologies evolve quickly. Regularly read blogs, attend webinars, and join professional forums. 5?? Network: Connect with database professionals and join groups related to database management.

Start by gaining a solid understanding of database concepts, PL/SQL, and Oracle database architecture. Understand and practice concepts like indexing, query optimization,analyzing execution plans and memory management,Enterprise Manager (OEM), Automatic Workload Repository (AWR),ADDM and SQL Tuning Advisor. Take up practical issues and work on them, simulate with raw data on a test system, if needed. Try to apply different techniques for to evalutae the cause of the issue. The more one practices or works on performance issues, the more one's expertise grows. PT, It is so complex area of work, that the fix that worked for a scenario for one client's DB instance, may not work for another clent's instance even if it looks as exact same issue.

Analyze Complex Queries: Understand how SQL Server executes queries by examining the Execution Plan. Enable the “Include Actual Execution Plan” option in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) before running a query. The Execution Plan visually represents the operations performed by SQL Server to execute a query. Identify resource-intensive parts of the query and optimize them. Break down complex queries into simpler parts, use temporary tables, and consider rewriting subqueries as joins.

1. Gain a solid understanding of db fundamentals, including database architecture, data modeling, SQL, and DBMS. 2. Learn about database performance concepts, such as indexing, query optimization, db caching, and db monitoring tools. 3. Study db tuning techniques, including SQL query tuning, db config tuning, and hardware resource optimization. 4. Attend training courses, and workshops specifically focused on db performance monitoring and tuning. 6. Read books, blogs, and online resources from experts and stay updated with the latest trends and best practices. 7. Obtain relevant certifications, such as those offered by db vendors. 8. Participate in online forums, user groups, or communities related to database performance.

Optimization Techniques: Add Missing Indexes: Identify frequently queried columns and search conditions. Proper indexing can significantly improve query performance. (do this carefully) Adding an index can improve reading performance but you will incur a higher cost when writing data.

Learn about database indexing, including types of indexes (e.g., B-tree, hash, full-text), how they work, when to use them, and their impact on performance.

Types of Indexes: Learn about different types of indexes such as B-trees, hash indexes, and full-text indexes. Index Strategies: Understand how and when to use indexes to improve query performance. Index Maintenance: Know how to maintain and optimize indexes to avoid performance degradation.

You need to know a few things when it comes to metrics. First, and most important, don't rely on any single metric to tell you what's going on. Sure, I/O on many databases is likely to be the number one problem. However, some may suffer from CPU, Memory, or other resource bottlenecks. So gather a lot of metrics and understand how they apply. Next, you have to have two points of measurement to understand performance. Before and after a change, before you tune code and after, yesterday and today, something. Two points to understand when things are better or worse. Finally, choose the mechanism of gathering metrics that puts the least load on your server. Many database systems have different ways to capture metrics. Pick the efficient ones.

It is very important that you understand and know how to consult the system views (DMV's), as they provide fundamental indications of performance problems, including when it comes to hardware.

Baselines, baselines, baselines. Without baselines and metrics you won't understand where you are and where you're going after making a change. Make sure you are familiar with the different metrics offered on your platform and how to react to each of them or at least have an idea and plan future actions from there.

Gain expertise in monitoring database performance metrics such as CPU usage, memory usage, disk I/O, query execution times, and concurrency. Familiarize yourself with tools like SQL Server Profiler, MySQL Performance Schema, and PostgreSQL's pg_stat_statements.

Key Metrics: Identify key performance metrics such as CPU usage, memory usage, disk I/O, and query execution time. Monitoring Tools: Use database performance monitoring tools like SQL Server Profiler, Oracle AWR, or third-party tools like New Relic or SolarWinds. Baselining: Establish performance baselines to detect anomalies and performance issues.

In my Experience, Database Performance Monitoring & Tuning starts with understanding the workload generated by business if it's batch jobs, logging, data warehousing, 24*7 and so on. Then it requires Monitoring to Establish a baseline for your Environment so you can compare previous vs current performance. i stopped watching by eyes & running individual scripts manually. Tools is very important in that aspect, to collect metrics that indicate performance then you can fix. Usually I think about external factors vs internal like "HW resources vs Developper style of coding", "Insufficient computing power vs Missing indexes", "Lazy or loaded disk vs outdated statistics" & so on

Performance tuning is not a inscription on the stone that works for everyone. It is a methodological approach that a DBA performs based on the issue and experience. The the most important aspect of performance tuning is to collect fact finding data and work thru it to resolve them.

Query Optimization: Learn techniques for optimizing SQL queries, such as rewriting queries, using indexes effectively, and avoiding common pitfalls like excessive joins or subqueries. Database Configuration: Tune database configurations like memory allocation, buffer pools, and parallelism. Execution Plans: Understand and analyze execution plans to identify and fix performance bottlenecks.

xplore database tuning techniques to optimize performance. This includes query optimization, index tuning, database configuration tuning, and query rewriting. Understand concepts like query plans, execution plans, and query cost.

Develop skills in automating database monitoring and tuning tasks using scripts, cron jobs, or database-specific automation tools. Automation can help maintain consistent performance and reduce manual effort.

tsql+powershell+dbatools, that's a winning combo. Managing a couple of instances is doable manually some scripts here and there. But managing hundreds of instances is a completely different beast. Automation is the name of the game, be a "lazy DBA" and automate as much as you can of the boring daily tasks, reports and leave that precious time for the more critical tasks, future planning, bigger projects, etc.

Stay updated with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in database performance monitoring and tuning. Follow industry blogs, attend webinars, participate in online communities (like LinkedIn groups or forums), and consider certifications or courses to deepen your knowledge.

?? become an expert? I think Expert is a word that only people with many years of experience and deep knowledge deserve, in Kernel, languages after languages, etc. But I think it will help us master advanced query analysis techniques, adjustment of configuration parameters and use of specialized tools to identify and resolve bottlenecks, etc. Additionally, collaborate with development teams to implement effective changes to schemas and queries. We must have a Passion for this field that leads us to continually explore new technologies and methodologies, which allowed me to stay at the forefront and offer innovative solutions to database performance challenges.

In addition to the database engine, do not forget to be interested and also fully understand the associated hardware part. For example, NVMe (the afterburner for your database) can really change the game …

Collaborate with experienced professionals, work on real-world projects, analyze performance bottlenecks, and be proactive in identifying and resolving issues. Networking with peers and mentors can also provide valuable insights and learning opportunities.