Finding and Optimizing Poor-Performing SQL Code

There are many performance monitoring solutions on the market to help you detect and diagnose SQL Server performance problems. However, Embarcadero's DB Optimizer, a SQL profiling and tuning IDE, puts a new spin on performance monitoring. DB Optimizer finds poor-performing SQL code in production databases and applications, and then optimizes the problematic SQL statements. In addition, this product provides you with real-time information about where data is hung up and feedback about how to diagnose and solve the SQL coding problem.

This product lets you profile a database and hone in on the areas that will give you the best performance gains for your time. "DB Optimizer enables developers and DBAs to drill down into SQL-related issues at a detailed level, while allowing users to focus their attention on the areas that boost productivity," said Greg Nerpouni, a product manager for Embarcadero.

According to Nerpouni, you can develop, test, and tweak code in DB Optimizer. In addition, DB Optimizer includes the ability to create snapshots, which can be handy if you need someone else to fix the problem-causing code. For example, if a production DBA finds a problem with the SQL code that he or she can't fix, the DBA can send a snapshot of the problem over to a development DBA, who can then fix the problem.

DB Optimizer is agentless, and its UI supports SQL Server, Oracle, DB2, and Sybase. This product currently doesn't support SQL Server 2008; however, SQL Server 2008 support will be included in a future release, according to Nerpouni and Michael Swindell, vice president of products for Embarcadero. For more information about DB Optimizer, go to www.embarcadero.com.