Database Tuning

When shopping at a grocery store, you want an undemanding experience. The aisles should be organized and clearly labeled. All areas should be clean. And when checking out, you’re hoping for expedited lines and un-smashed eggs in your grocery bags. If a grocery store has any of these key pieces missing, a manager comes in to fix things.  

The people who interact with your database, whether as a DBA or consumer, should have similar ease of access. Data should be sorted and intelligibly filed. There should be an element of safety. And you should be able to leave your database with the information you need without a headache. Mentally un-smashed, if you will.  

This is where database tuning comes in. You are the grocery store manager coming in to improve the flow. If you aren’t keeping up with tuning, you’re likely to be in “trouble mode,” in which your data is messy or unsecure. If you are constantly tuning, you’re probably in “growth mode,” where you are proactively making your DBMS more efficient.  

Doesn’t “growth mode” sound like a better state to be in? What kinds of things should you be looking for? 

1. Is everything patched OS, VM tools, and RDBMS up to date? 
2. Do my database tools need to be updated? 
3. Do we have processes doing the same thing and possibly running at the same time?  
4. Can we look at the most expensive queries and tune them? 
5. Do we have indexes not being used? Or maybe we need a few more due to tuning efforts? 
6. Are we doing the necessary database maintenance: 
7. Index fragmentation 
8. Index and Tables statistics 
9. Backups  
10. Integrity/consistency checks  

If you’re not keeping up with database tuning, you might be in “trouble mode.” This could take form in slow-moving processes, expensive jobs, or difficulty accessing information. So stay on top of things; working proactively with your database is the best thing you can do. And if your DBAs don’t have the time, I have a feeling we just may be able to help you out. Learn more or talk to one of our experts. Growth mode is right around the corner.