SQL Server 2000 performance and tuning philosophy
Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 introduced a major enhancement: a database engine that is largely self-configuring, self-tuning, and self-managing. Before SQL Server 7.0, most database servers required a considerable amount of time and effort from the database administrator, who had to manually tune the server configuration to achieve optimal performance. In fact, a good many competitive database offerings still require administrators to manually configure and tune their database server. This is a key reason many customers are turning to SQL Server. SQL Server 2000 builds upon the solid foundation laid by SQL Server 7.0. The goal of SQL Server is to make manual configuration and tuning of a database server an obsolete and archaic practice.
By reducing the amount of time required to configure and tune the database environment, SQL Server 2000 enables customers to redirect their efforts toward more productive endeavors. Readers familiar with the earlier version of this document, "MS SQL Server 7.0 Performance Tuning Guide," will notice that fewer options in SQL Server 2000 need to be manually adjusted in order to achieve good performance.
While it is still possible to manually configure and adjust some sp_configure options, it is recommended that database administrators refrain from doing so and instead allow SQL Server to automatically configure and tune itself. SQL Server 7.0 has an established and proven track record for being able to make such adjustments; SQL Server 2000 significantly improves on this time-proven formula. Letting SQL Server self-tune allows the database server to dynamically adjust to changing conditions in your environment that could have an adverse effect on database performance.
