Database transactions are at the heart of many mission-critical applications throughout the business world. Monitoring these transactions to tune them to maintain or increase their level of performance is an important task for a database team. DBAs employ a variety of tools to keep their databases operating at peak efficiency.
IDERA’s Precise for Databases is a trusted tool that has been used for years by many SQL Server DBAs. It offers many features designed to help your database team get the most out of your SQL Server environment. Here are some examples of its impressive set of features.
- A fully customizable monitoring platform allows details of database transactions to be collected continuously to identify trends and problems with the system. Data can be sampled with a granularity of less than a second for real-time monitoring. Correlations can be defined between transactions and the objects they access to add context to the monitoring process.
- The tool provides the ability to drill down into monitored transactions to quickly isolate issues. Performance details and application context furnish the full infrastructure path the transaction traverses. Locks and latches can be identified in real-time or from a historical perspective to allow fast problem resolution.
- Precise furnishes a number of features specifically aimed at tuning database performance. The application provides expert tuning advice to tune SQL statements, objects, and indexes. Simulate the effects of prospective changes on other SQL statements. Performance data is regularly analyzed by the tool’s SmarTune process to alert you of system degradation.
A New Interface for SQL Server DBAs
Precise’s GUI has recently been given an overhaul that improves its functionality and enables users to obtain even more value from the app. Here’s an overview of the changes that SQL Server DBAs will appreciate.
- Precise 10.0 extends the usability of the tool by enabling it to be run on the Chrome and Firefox web browsers in addition to the previously supported Internet Explorer. Almost everyone has a favorite browser and being able to use it when accessing important tools while on the job just makes the day a little more pleasant. It might make you a little more productive too as you don’t need to navigate between different interfaces. There is a slight difference in how you specify the URL to connect to your precise instance. Chrome requires /Precise to be appended after the port number.
- The Precise dashboard maintains the look and feel of previous versions of the application. It displays your database transactions graphically and presents color-coded findings to help identify areas of concern. All applications, tiers, and monitored instances are made available for further investigation.
- Clicking on the Activity tab brings up a comprehensive view of the databases in the SQL Server environment. A new feature in version 10.0 lets you add or remove columns and export data. Clicking on a database provides a list of statements in order of execution time. Continuing to dive deeper displays findings and recommendations that may improve the statement’s performance.
- Pre and Next buttons are used to navigate back and forth through windows in Precise 10.0. You can dive down into any aspect of your databases and identify the findings that the tool has found. In each case, the application furnishes recommendations to help tune the database. It allows you to get as fine-grained as you want when searching for ways to boost the performance of your database transactions.
An IDERA educational video that demonstrates the features of the new GUI visually is available for your viewing pleasure. It demonstrates the highlights for new users and those experienced with previous versions of the tool. Take a look to see how Precise can help you keep your databases running smoothly and your users happy.