SQL Server Tips by Robin Schumacher

Examining the Plan Cache

Attention can now focus on the procedure plan hit ratio. A high procedure cache hit rate is a desirable thing; the DBA should strive for a hit ratio between 95% - 100%, with 95% being a good performance benchmark for code reference.

When a database is first started, the procedure cache hit rate will not be at an optimal level because all code being used will be relatively new, must be read in from disk, and placed into the cache. If, however, after a solid hour or two of steady database time, the procedure cache hit rate has not increased to desirable levels, the DBA should look into increasing the amount of memory given to SQL Server.

Plan reuse can backfire since input parameters are capable of causing drastic changes in returned result sets. One set of bind/input parameters could produce an end result set that works well with a particular access path, but that same path may produce terrible response times for a different set of bind parameters.

Peering into the cache is not difficult. A simple query from the master.dbo.syscacheobjects table using the plan_objects.sql code is all that is needed.

The output from the plan object cache query will provide not only the object and query names/text, but it will also reveal information such as how many times the code object or object structure was referenced, how much memory it is taking up, and etc.

Ad-hoc SQL requests will also be seen in the cache as well. The ad-hoc SQL hit ratio will tell how often general query plans are being reused. A high ad hoc hit rate is desirable, but is harder to maintain at a high level than something like a procedure cache hit rate. Therefore, an 80% or greater ad hoc cache hit rate is a good performance benchmark for code reference.

After first starting a database, it may take an hour or two of steady database time before the ad hoc hit rate will approach optimal levels. This occurs because all code being used is new, must be read in from disk, and then placed into the cache. However, if after this period of time the ad hoc cache hit rate has not reached a desirable level, the DBA should consider increasing the amout of memory given to the SQL Server.

The above book excerpt is from:

High-Performance SQL Server DBA
Tuning & Optimization Secrets

ISBN: 0-9761573-6-5
Robin Schumacher

 http://www.rampant-books.com/book_2005_2_sql_server_dba.htm