Top SQL

Optimize and tune SQL query performance

SQL Server query performance tuning should be easier

SQL Server query performance tuning should be easier

The Top SQL feature in SQL Sentry provides high-impact SQL query capture and analysis features. It collects details about running and completed queries, processes them for use in various features across the solution, and presents them for analysis, optimization, and tuning.

Top SQL becomes your guide to discovering the true root causes of poorly performing queries. SQL Sentry then provides you with comprehensive query analysis tools with natively integrated Plan Explorer.

Get More on SQL Sentry Top SQL
Do you find yourself asking…
  • Why Top SQL?
  • Which features are available with SQL Sentry Top SQL?
  • Which scenarios can Top SQL help you with?

  • Why Top SQL?

    The Pareto principle—commonly referred to as "the 80/20 rule"—is something most of us are likely familiar with. It generally holds true that 80% of one thing can be impacted or heavily influenced by 20% of another, related thing. In SQL Server terms, often 20% of the SQL queries running are responsible for 80% of performance concerns.

    This 80/20 phenomenon is a primary reason SentryOne SQL query performance analysis and tuning begin with "Top SQL" rather than "All SQL." Top SQL is designed to quickly identify the 20% of your workload with the highest impact and resource-intensive queries. Tuning these queries first will greatly advance your journey from reactive to proactive. It can also free up time for you and your team to focus on the other 80% of queries. Incidentally, once you tune your highest impact queries, Top SQL will then surface the next round of your highest impact, resource-intensive queries, which will then become your focus for tuning.

  • Which features are available with SQL Sentry Top SQL?

    • View top queries by data range
    • Specify the minimum duration or other criteria (e.g., CPU time) for filtered queries
    • Drill down on any suspicious query for further information
    • Analyze your queries across your entire SQL Server environment and for each server instance
    • Jump between your Top SQL tab and other Performance Analysis views such as the Dashboard, Blocking, and Deadlocks to gain better insight into the impact of the query across the instance
    • Use Top SQL for analyzing your high-impact queries across the Microsoft Data Platform, including SQL Server, SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), and Azure SQL Database

  • Which scenarios can Top SQL help you with?

    • Know what happens in your SQL Server environment while you’re away
    • Identify suspect statements that run thousands of times in a short period of time and subject your server to "death by a thousand cuts"
    • Quickly identify the top resource-consuming queries over time and begin tuning them in the same interface
    • Define alerting and automated remediation for known performance pitfalls
    • Know when a new release or data churn over time has changed the performance profile for one or more queries

Why Top SQL?

The Pareto principle—commonly referred to as "the 80/20 rule"—is something most of us are likely familiar with. It generally holds true that 80% of one thing can be impacted or heavily influenced by 20% of another, related thing. In SQL Server terms, often 20% of the SQL queries running are responsible for 80% of performance concerns.

This 80/20 phenomenon is a primary reason SentryOne SQL query performance analysis and tuning begin with "Top SQL" rather than "All SQL." Top SQL is designed to quickly identify the 20% of your workload with the highest impact and resource-intensive queries. Tuning these queries first will greatly advance your journey from reactive to proactive. It can also free up time for you and your team to focus on the other 80% of queries. Incidentally, once you tune your highest impact queries, Top SQL will then surface the next round of your highest impact, resource-intensive queries, which will then become your focus for tuning.

Close
Which features are available with SQL Sentry Top SQL?

  • View top queries by data range
  • Specify the minimum duration or other criteria (e.g., CPU time) for filtered queries
  • Drill down on any suspicious query for further information
  • Analyze your queries across your entire SQL Server environment and for each server instance
  • Jump between your Top SQL tab and other Performance Analysis views such as the Dashboard, Blocking, and Deadlocks to gain better insight into the impact of the query across the instance
  • Use Top SQL for analyzing your high-impact queries across the Microsoft Data Platform, including SQL Server, SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), and Azure SQL Database

Close
Which scenarios can Top SQL help you with?

  • Know what happens in your SQL Server environment while you’re away
  • Identify suspect statements that run thousands of times in a short period of time and subject your server to "death by a thousand cuts"
  • Quickly identify the top resource-consuming queries over time and begin tuning them in the same interface
  • Define alerting and automated remediation for known performance pitfalls
  • Know when a new release or data churn over time has changed the performance profile for one or more queries

Close
“We have had several instances of the ‘Death by a thousand cuts scenario’ where a query wasn't particularly costly, but it was running a ton of times. The Top SQL … feature in [SQL Sentry] helped us find these issues where our old monitoring tools did not.”
Corey Carrender
DBA

Get started with Top SQL

SolarWinds SQL Sentry

  • Fast root cause analysis

  • Visibility across the data estate

  • Deep, actionable performance metrics with easy deep-dive capabilities

Let’s talk it over.
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