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Category: Tools

Query Performance Tabs in Performance Monitor

Published 2026-04-03 by Kevin Feasel

Erik Darling has a new video:

In this video, I dive into the query performance tabs within my full dashboard, a free and open-source SQL Server monitoring tool. I highlight key features such as the QueryStore subtab, which provides detailed insights into query execution plans and regressions over time, helping you identify and address performance issues more effectively. Additionally, I explain how the custom trace patterns tab offers valuable data for safeguarding against overlooked performance anomalies, ensuring a comprehensive view of your SQL Server’s health.

Click through to see these capabilities.

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Building a Health Check with dbatools

Published 2026-04-03 by Kevin Feasel

David Seis has a dashboard:

After a longer break than expected, I am back to the dbatools for SQL Server DBAs blog series, and this one is a monster! In fact, this project is so big that I think it will be better to release it incrementally. This will allow you clone the repository, test and modify it in your own environment and come back for free updates over the weeks/ months to come. It is designed to allow you to customize it to your environment’s needs. This first post will be the initial process overview as well as the first set of checks and how to navigate the report.

Click through to see what David has in store.

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Updates to Straight Path Solutions sp_Check Procedures

Published 2026-04-02 by Kevin Feasel

Jeff Iannucci has some updates:

This month though there are mostly a few small updates for the tools, as next month’s updates should also include many of the issues noted in GitHub (thanks for those!) Most of this month’s updates were to sp_CheckSecurity, although we did add “Initial File Size” to the output of sp_CheckTempdb since that had been requested by a few folks.

We hope these new updates can help you, especially if you’ve never used these stored procedures. Here are the updates for March 2026, with links to the GitHub repositories where you can download the latest versions.

Click through for those links.

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Performance Monitor Full Installation Notes

Published 2026-04-02 by Kevin Feasel

Erik Darling has a pair of documentation videos for Performance Monitor. First up is the full dashboard installation:

In this video, I delve into the installation process of my free SQL Server performance monitoring tool, addressing a common issue where users have questions about setup despite having access to detailed documentation. I explain that there are two main installers: one for command line use and another with a graphical user interface (GUI). The command line installer offers various options such as reinstalling the database, choosing encryption levels, managing server certificates, and handling password input in different ways. Additionally, I cover how the tool runs through 52 installation scripts, including community dependencies like SP WhoIsActive and my own scripts for data collection and analysis.

After that, Erik shows off the user interface:

In this video, I delve into the exciting world of free SQL Server monitoring tools, specifically focusing on a dashboard I’ve developed called Performance Monitor. This tool is designed to make life easier for DBAs and developers by providing real-time insights into server performance, resource usage, blocking issues, and more. With a user-friendly interface that includes various tabs like an overview, resource metrics, and query analysis, the dashboard aims to simplify complex monitoring tasks. I also highlight some of its unique features such as the plan viewer, which leverages Microsoft’s SQL Server extension for Visual Studio Code to provide detailed execution plans with actionable insights. Whether you’re a seasoned DBA or just starting out, this tool can help you keep your SQL Server environment running smoothly and efficiently.

Click through to check out what Erik has to offer.

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Reviewing the Performance Monitoring Lite Dashboard

Published 2026-03-31 by Kevin Feasel

Erik Darling has another tutorial video:

In this video, I delve into the exciting world of SQL Server monitoring tools, focusing on the Lite version of my free open-source tool, which is a lightweight and secure solution for monitoring performance across multiple servers. I walk through how to download and set up the Lite edition, highlighting its unique features such as no server-side installations or databases, making it an ideal choice for environments like Azure SQL Database where agent jobs are used. The video covers the tool’s 20 collectors that run with minimal permissions, ensuring data collection is both efficient and secure. I also showcase the various tabs within the dashboard, including weight [sic] stats, query trends, CPU and memory usage graphs, blocking information, and performance monitor counters, all designed to provide a comprehensive view of SQL Server health without any heavy lifting on the server side.

I think my preference is still for the Full version (especially given that the price tag on both versions is zero) in most situations, but the Lite version does cover some neat bits of functionality.

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Protecting the SSMS Server List

Published 2026-03-30 by Kevin Feasel

Jens Vestergaard provides an update:

Twelve years ago 🤯 I wrote a quick post about never losing your server list in SSMS again. The short version was: copy one file, stay sane. The file was called SqlStudio.bin, and the trick still works today if you are on an old enough version.

But if you are running SSMS 19, 20, 21 or 22 on Windows 11, the file is gone. The settings have moved, and the format has changed. The principle is the same, but the file you need to grab is different.

Here is the updated version for 2026.

Click through to see what changed starting in SSMS 19, as well as how to manage that file.

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PSBlitz Updates

Published 2026-03-30 by Kevin Feasel

Vlad Drumea has a changelog:

For anyone not familiar with PSBlitz: it’s a PowerShell-based tool that outputs SQL Server health and performance diagnostics data to either Excel or HTML, and saves execution plans and deadlock graphs as .sqlplan and .xdl files.

If you’re familiar with Oracle, this is pretty much my attempt of a SQL Server equivalent to Oracle’s AWR report.

Click through for updates, screenshots, and one breaking change.

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SQL Server Performance Monitor Videos

Published 2026-03-27 by Kevin Feasel

Erik Darling continues a series of videos for his SQL Server Performance Monitor. First up is a breakdown of the two editions (both of which are free):

In this video, I delve into my new, completely free, open-source SQL Server monitoring tool, discussing which edition—full or light—you might find most useful based on your specific needs. The full edition creates a database and agent jobs to continuously collect data, offering complete control over the collection schedule and allowing for easy customization of stored procedures. It’s ideal for scenarios where you need constant data collection and want the flexibility to manage the monitoring tool as needed. On the other hand, the light edition uses an embedded DuckDB version inside itself, collecting data only when it’s open, making it perfect for quick triage or situations with limited server access, ensuring that no data is missed while you’re away from your computer. Both editions offer alerts and notifications for critical issues like blocking and high CPU usage, providing a seamless experience regardless of which edition you choose.

Erik also has a video covering how to communicate with the built-in MCP server:

In this video, I delve into the built-in MCP server feature of my FreeSQL server monitoring tool, Darling Data. This feature allows users to interact with their collected monitoring data in a conversational manner using language models like Claude or other compatible tools. The MCP server is designed for local use only and does not expose any data beyond what’s available within the performance monitor database, ensuring that no sensitive information is at risk. By enabling this feature, you can ask questions about your server’s performance directly to an LLM, receiving quick insights into issues such as deadlocks, query performance, and workload spikes. This approach simplifies the process of diagnosing problems without requiring extensive manual analysis or script writing.

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Background on a Performance Monitoring Tool

Published 2026-03-25 by Kevin Feasel

Erik Darling has a new video:

In this video, I introduce my new free performance monitoring tool for SQL Server, which was developed after a bit of boredom during the holidays and a desire to create something simple yet powerful. The main issue I’ve noticed is that many existing tools are either overly complex or too expensive, making them less accessible to smaller teams or individuals. My goal with this tool was to provide a straightforward solution that doesn’t require setting up VMs, dealing with firewalls, or managing domain accounts—essentially streamlining the process for anyone looking to monitor SQL Server performance without the hassle of a full-blown enterprise setup. The tool supports various editions of SQL Server and even Azure SQL DB, offering both a full version with database logging and an easier-to-use light version that’s self-contained within DuckDB. I also highlight how it integrates machine learning models for those who prefer not to dive deep into dashboards, providing quick answers through natural language queries.

It’s good to have yet another example of the productive powers of boredom.

Also, I need to get back into this tool now that the Linux bug has been fixed.

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Configuring a New Windows Device via Chocolatey

Published 2026-03-19 by Kevin Feasel

Reitse Eskens writes a script:

Last month, my company got me a new laptop. I have very little choice in which one I get, and I have to reinstall a lot of software. So, what to do next?

Click through for an example of such an installation script. Having one or more Chocolatey scripts does help, especially for fairly stable corporate machines. I’ve found it to be moderately useful for home devices, where I tend to cycle through software a bit more frequently. But it does make the process of rebuilding a Windows-based machine less painful.

On the Linux side, this is more built-in. For anything via repo managers (such as apt or yum), you can list your installed packages and turn that into a script. It’s a similar story for snap or flatpak packages, though maybe a little bit less conveneint. For AppImage files or deb/rpm files you installed separately from the repo, it’s a bit more of a mixed bag.

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