Note: This blog post is from 2008. Some content may be outdated--though not necessarily. Same with links and subsequent comments from myself or others. Corrections are welcome, in the comments. And I may revise the content as necessary.

• How to troubleshoot SQL Server performance issues
• How to troubleshoot application performance issues
• HOW TO: Troubleshoot Application Performance with SQL Server
• How to troubleshoot slow-running queries on SQL Server 7.0 or on later versions
• How to troubleshoot the performance of ad-hoc queries
• Troubleshooting stored procedure recompilation
• Understanding and resolving SQL Server 7.0 or 2000 blocking problems
• How to monitor blocking in SQL Server 2005 and in SQL Server 2000
• How to resolve blocking problems that are caused by lock escalation in SQL Server
• How to capture error messages that are sent to clients from an instance of SQL Server
• How to determine proper SQL Server configuration settings

Some of these offer knowledge and understanding, others offer specific steps to follow. Most offer links to still other resources (including often specific entries in Books Online).

Note that some may be written more to those still running SQL Server 7 (less likely) or SQL Server 2000 (not so unlikely), though many do cover SQL Server 2005 as well. Just keep this in mind while reading, both if some step doesn't seem to follow, and also in case it may be that some setting that suits one release may not suit another. In fact, some of the resources specifically discuss how things have changed in later releases, and how in fact some settings or techniques for older releases may be very different for later ones. All this just calls for discernment while you read.

These are all in addition to a couple of entries I wrote back in April (starting here) on some other advanced tools and techniques for diagnosing SQL Server problems.

Sometimes CF gets blamed for problems when in fact the problem is in the DBMS--and it's not always a problem due to the SQL being sent from CF. Sometimes the same code can run very differently one time than another. In that case, you really need to understand why this is happening. I hope the resources above may help you. If you ever want direct assistance, this is one of the things I help people with in my available consulting.

Note: This blog post is from 2007. Some content may be outdated--though not necessarily. Same with links and subsequent comments from myself or others. Corrections are welcome, in the comments. And I may revise the content as necessary.

Maybe you've wished you could hire someone with more experience but can't justify a high hourly rate. Of course, with so many web tools available to share a desktop, travel need no longer be a significant issue. Sometimes, it could help to simply have someone "look over your shoulder" via the web to resolve a problem.

Recognizing all those challenges, I've created a new service that I'm tentatively calling "AskCharlie", to be able to offer just such assistance.

Via buttons on my site or an 888 number you call, you can arrange to speak with me by phone (and optionally join me in a shared desktop session) to solve some knotty problem.

Best of all, it's very low cost and at a per minute rate (first-time callers can use a 10 minutes free option, and everyone gets a money-back guarantee). That and more are explained on my site:

http://www.carehart.org/askcharlie/

There you can learn more about why I did it, how it works, how the remote desktop sharing assistance works (no problem with firewalls, for instance), and more.

I'd welcome your thoughts on what you think of the idea.

Note: This blog post is from 2006. Some content may be outdated--though not necessarily. Same with links and subsequent comments from myself or others. Corrections are welcome, in the comments. And I may revise the content as necessary.

What if the problem isn't really a "leak" at all, nor "poorly performing code", nor "CF being unable to scale", but instead what if it's really all due thousands or millions of page requests, which (worse) are likely creating (unexpectedly ) thousands or millions of sessions and client variables, each day? They may even be something you're causing (but more likely not). It's a pernicious problem that many never even fathom, or may dismiss too readily.

Curious to hear more? Read on.

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