RML Utilities
© Microsoft
by Keith Elmore and Bob Dorr
The Microsoft SQL Server support team uses several internally-written utilities to make it easier to work on a typical customer support case. These utilities may also be useful to database developers and system administrators who work with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and Microsoft SQL Server 2005. The utilities are collectively called the RML Utilities for SQL Server.
With the RML Utilities you can answer questions such as the following:
· Which application, database or login is consuming the most resources, and which queries are responsible for that.
· Whether there were any plan changes for a batch during the time when the trace was captured and how each of those plans performed.
· What queries are running slower in today's data as compared to a previous set of data.
You can also test how the system will behave with some change (different service pack or hot fix build, changing a stored procedure or function, modifying or adding indexes, and so forth) by using the provided tools to replay the trace files against another instance of SQL Server. If you capture trace during this replay you can use the tools to directly compare to the original baseline capture.
This release of the utilities supersedes the previous version, as described in KB 887057. The previous release continues to be available to customers who do not have SQL Server 2005. This release supports SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2000 trace file formats and should be used any time you have SQL Server 2005 in your environment. This release contains important bug fixes, new features and performance enhancements over the prior release.
· Supports SQL 2000 and SQL Server 2005
· Quick Start Guide
· Updated and Advanced Help Documentation
· Stress Testing
· Replay Capabilities
· SQL Server Upgrade Assistance
· Advanced Reporting and Performance Analysis
The utilities are useful for simulating application testing where using the real application is impractical or impossible. For example, it may be difficult to generate the same user load in the test environment as you see in production. You can capture another set of traces while performing the replay and compare the performance characteristics of the replay trace files to the original trace files.
The help file contains a Quick Start section that introduces you to each of the tools by walking through a brief exercise. You can access the help file by going to Start | Programs | RML Utilities for SQL Server and selecting RML Help.xps.
To download the RML Utilities for SQL Server, visit the following Microsoft Web site
RML Utilities for SQL Server (x86) – http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=7EDFA95A-A32F-440F-A3A8-5160C8DBE926&displaylang=en
RML Utilities for SQL Server (x64) – http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=B60CDFA3-732E-4347-9C06-2D1F1F84C342&displaylang=en
SQL Nexus
The RML Utilities have undergone integration work with SQL Nexus so we can provide SQLDiag/PSSDiag, SQLNexus and the RML Utilities to our customers. For more information on SQL Nexus visit: http://codeplex.com/Project/ProjectDirectory.aspx?ProjectSearchText=SQL%20Nexus
Product Improvement
These utilities are extensions to features already shipped with SQL Server. As outlined in the Help file we continue to work closely with the SQL Server development team to incorporate ideas and designs. Expect to see continued product advancements in several areas. For example, we have had discussions with and provided details to several team. Each team is using the information to make our products better.
· Scalable Replay Team
· Upgrade Advisor Team
· SQL Trace and XEvent Teams
· Performance Warehouse Team
· Marketing Team