I have recently been informed that Microsoft will be guaranteeing the performance of SQL Server. Yes thats right Microsoft will guarantee that you will get better performance out of SQL Server that any other competitor system.

However on the flip side there are also saying that end users also have to guarantee the performance of SQL Server if they want to use the next release of SQL Server targeted for 2011 or 2012.

It appears that a recent recruit Mark Smith from Newcastle, England will be heading a new team that will be making sure you are running SQL Server on adequate hardware and making sure you are developing your applications according to best practices. The Performance Enforcement Team (SQLPET) will be a global group headed by mark that will oversee two other groups the existing Customer Advisory Team (SQLCAT) and another new team the Design and Operation Group (SQLDOG).

Mark informed me that the team was originally thought out during Yukon and was going to be an independent body that went round to customers making sure they didn’t suffer performance problems. However it was felt that they needed to wait a few releases until SQL Server was really there. The original Yukon Independent Performance Enhancement Team (YIPET) has now become the SQL Performance Enforcement Team (SQLPET). When challenged about the change from enhancement to enforcement Mark was unwilling to comment. An anonymous source suggested that "..Microsoft is sick of the bad press SQL Server gets for performance when the performance problems are normally down to people developing applications badly and using inadequate hardware..."

Its true that it is very easy to install and run SQL, unlike other RDMS systems and the flip side is that its also easy to get into performance problems due to under specified hardware and bad design.

Its not yet confirmed if this enforcement will apply to all SKUs or just the high end ones. I would personally welcome some level of architectural and hardware advice service that clients would be able to turn to, in order to justify getting the appropriate hardware at the start of a project and not 1 year in when its often too late.