Many SQL Server-based applications perform far below expectation-costing money and time. And until now, there has been very little practical information available that explains how to identify and cure performance problems in SQL Server. But this book offers essential content to fill in the gap. §The second edition includes updated material plus one new chapter, and explains how to design and tune SQL Server applications to cope with ever-increasing workloads. With proven strategy, this book shows how to use SQL Server tools to identify a performance bottleneck, isolate the root cause, apply possible resolutions, and then quantify performance improvements. Also covered are crucial issues like index analysis and tuning, preventing deadlocks, optimizing workload, and minimizing costs.