Windows 2003 supports a feature called Quality of Service (QoS). In most network designs, no network traffic is given higher priority over other network traffic. This means that users who access SQL Server over your network have to compete with users who are listening to Internet radio on their desktops.
If you find that your SQL Server network traffic does not always have the priority it should in your network, consider looking into QoS. QoS allows you to assign a higher priority to some network traffic than others. For example, you could assign SQL Server network traffic a higher priority than Internet-related traffic.
While Windows 2003 supports QoS (using the QoS RSVP service), in order for QoS to be implemented in an organization’s network, it also must be implemented on all other network devices, such as routers and switches. This means, of course, that it is not easy to implement. But, if you are planning on redoing your current network infrastructure, or plan on building a new one, you should investigate what QoS has to offer your company, from a performance perspective. [6.5, 7.0, 2000, 2005] Added 5-7-2003
Tips on Performance Windows 98/ME When Running SQL Server
If you are running SQL Server under Windows 98/ME, consider configuring the swap file to a constant swap file size, instead of the dynamic swap file used by default. This reduces overhead because Windows no longer has to resize the swap file. In addition, it helps to reduce hard disk fragmentation.
If you decide to so this, you will want to defrag your hard disk first to ensure contiguous hard disk space for the swap file. I would choose a fixed swap file size at least twice as large as the amount of RAM in your computer. If SQL Server is your only application on this computer, then this size should be adequate. To change the swap file size, go to Control Panel | System | Performance | Virtual Memory. If you have more than one hard drive, locate the swap file on the fastest drive. [7.0, 2000]
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If you are running SQL Server under Windows 98/ME, and the computer has at least 16MB of RAM (and it should have at least 64MB if you want decent performance), consider changing the computer’s role from Desktop Computer to Network Server. This setting allows more data to be cached in RAM, boosting performance. To change this option, go to Control Panel | System | Performance | File System. [7.0, 2000]
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