SQL Server Profiler and Extended Events

What are SQL Profiler & Extended Events?

SQL Profiler and Extended Events are both crucial tools when it comes to database performance tuning. At a high level, both tools capture event information, but they do it in different ways. SQL Profiler functions by capturing traces of activity on the server while Extended Events are tracing data collected from the server with a different set of actions.

Using SQL Profiler, developers can capture SQL Server events, providing visibility into what’s happening on the server. It allows tracking of database activities such as stored procedure calls or data access, and application activities such as login and logout, user errors, and tunes or tweaks for query performance, SQL Profiler helps immensely in identifying bottlenecks and other issues that can slow down SQL Server.

On the other hand, Extended Events are introduced from SQL Server 2008 and have more advanced tracing capabilities than SQL Profiler. Extended Events are lightweight and provide better performance than SQL Profiler, also with more advanced filtering capabilities. You can enable an extended event session on SQL server instance that can capture specific data or events based on user needs. These sessions can capture performance data or function as a diagnostic event for troubleshooting.

However, SQL Profiler and Extended Events aren’t mutually exclusive. It’s handy to use SQL Server Profiler to capture procedures, slow queries or other problematic queries, and then use the captured templates to create sessions in Extended Events to get more information about events in action.

To make operations more convenient for developers, Microsoft has introduced Query Store which is a built-in tool, since the SQL Server 2016 version. Query Store provides with the data on query plans, runtime statistics, and performance monitoring. So instead of a tracing tool, Query Store is more of a knowledge base that will retain query data over time for query performance analysis.

In summary, SQL Profiler and Extended Events are two tools used for monitoring and troubleshooting an SQL environment. Each tool has its features for analyzing SQL server events, and developers can select anyone or both, depending on their requirements.

Profiler vs. Extended Events: Key Differences

SQL Profiler and Extended Events are both tools that provide detailed information about SQL server activities, but they have specific differences that set them apart.

One of the key differences between these tools is performance overhead. SQL Profiler is known to add a significant amount of overhead when tracing is enabled. In contrast, Extended Events add almost no overhead to the server when tracing is enabled. This makes Extended Events a more preferable option if you are looking for a lightweight and low-overhead tool for performance monitoring.

Another key difference is in event filtering. SQL Profiler uses a series of filters that are applied to select events, such as duration, object name, and more. Extended Events, on the other hand, apply filtering on every event at runtime. This means that it can provide more detailed filtering based on specific criteria, including user-defined fields, making it a more powerful tool for event filtering.

In addition, SQL Profiler is known to generate more event data, which can often lead to increased noise in tracing output. Extended Events, however, can be configured to provide only the required event data, so it helps in producing much more efficient results since it can optimize events you capture and choose fewer or as many options as needed.

One of the other major differences between these two tools is that SQL Profiler supports tracing SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), while Extended Events, at least until SQL Server 2016, did not. Extended Events is also more user-friendly, with more refined filtering, more events and fields to capture, and the ability to retrieve additional metadata about the trace.

Each tool has its advantages and disadvantages, and often the choice between them comes down to the specific requirements of the application or task at hand. Overall, with lightweight, targeted tracing, Extended Events is the better choice for monitoring SQL Server performance while SQL Profiler should be your go-to if, for example, you need to monitor the whole application stack, TSQLs and SSAS or you require deeper insights.

Optimizing Database Performance with Profiler

Optimizing database performance is one of the critical aspects of SQL Server operation. SQL Profiler is a powerful tool used by developers to analyze database performance and identify bottlenecks by collecting and analyzing events. In this section, we will explore how to optimize database performance using SQL Profiler.

By analyzing the traces or traces that SQL Profiler produces, we can identify the top queries that are causing performance issues. The traces produced by capturing specific events can help us understand the problem and provide us with a starting point for resolving the problem. For example, a trace that captures the start and finish time of stored procedures can help us identify the slow performing procedures.

SQL Profiler also provides profiling templates for tracking specific events related to database performance. For example, by using the “Tuning – Missing Index” template, we can capture details such as missing indexes and get relevant suggestions to improve performance. Another useful template, “Performance – All”, captures all query information, and lets us analyze events that relate directly to server performance.

In addition, SQL Profiler also provides the ability to set filters for SQL Server events, such as the server or database name, execution of specific stored procedures, or specifying date/time ranges. Filters let us zoom in on specific events or queries, making tracing more efficient and manageable.

To further optimize performance, SQL Profiler lets you choose which events to capture, and allows you to set additional conditions or parameters for tracing, such as a specific user, a specified duration, and more.

In summary, SQL Profiler is a highly effective tool for optimizing database performance. When used well, it allows developers to trace SQL Server events, filter and analyze traces produced, and then use the analysis to improve performance alongside specific recommendations when using profiling templates.

Optimizing Database Performance with Extended Events

Extended Events is a great tool for optimizing database performance in various ways. It provides more advanced tracing capabilities and lets you efficiently monitor and diagnose SQL Server. In this section, we will explore how to optimize database performance using Extended Events.

Extended Events lets us us create custom event sessions to capture specific events based on our needs. This feature allows us to focus solely on capturing what we need, making tracing more efficient and specific. Custom event sessions can track events based on the occurrence of specific keywords or criteria. For example, an Extended Events session might capture all events for reads and writes against a table or stored procedure of interest.

Extended Events also allows us to capture the details of slow-performing queries, known as Query Performance Analysis (QPA). QPA provides us detailed performance information of individual queries and helps us identify underlying performance issues. QPA will also provide recommendations for improving query performance. These can include newly suggested indexes, better query rewrites, and statistics modifications to aid in improving queries’ overall performance.

Another useful feature of Extended Events is the ability to use filters along with additional conditions or parameters during tracing. Filters let you focus on specific events or queries, making the tracing process more efficient and manageable. These filters include those for specific database objects, users, or events, allowing us to tune the tracing, we perform to identify or optimize for specific actions or transactions.

To further optimize performance, Extended Events lets you use custom or built-in stats for analyzing the data you capture. Analysis can include checking for column value occurrences, frequency, duration of execution, or event relations, among many others.

In summary, Extended Events is a more advanced tool than SQL Profiler that supports advanced tracing and detailed analysis of specific events. It lets us capture custom events sessions and use filters to focus tracing on specific elements, allowing us to efficiently and effectively leverage the data collected to improve database performance.

Summary

In summary, SQL Profiler and Extended Events are two tools used for monitoring and troubleshooting an SQL environment. SQL Profiler is lightweight and easier to use, while Extended Events provides more refined filtering and more events and fields to capture. Choosing the right tool depends on the specific requirements of the application or task at hand.

When it comes to optimizing database performance using SQL Profiler, identifying top queries and setting specific filters is key. Profiling templates such as “Tuning - Missing Index” and “Performance - All” can also aid in identifying and resolving performance issues.

With Extended Events sessions, developers can capture specific events and conditions related to database performance, allowing for more efficient, actionable insights. Custom or built-in stats can then be used to analyze this data and identify opportunities for optimization.

From a personal standpoint, it’s important to iterate and fine-tune queries or events for efficiency regularly, and to diagnose the root cause of issues early on. With the proper understanding and utilization of both SQL Profiler and Extended Events, instances impacting database performance can be resolved more quickly and efficiently.