Learn Access Now! Chapter 9 Previous Section in Chapter 10 Next Section in Chapter 10 Chapter 11
Chapter 10: Using Additional Tools
(This is section 4 of 5 in this chapter)
Improving Database Performance
As you get to know more about databases in general, and Access in particular, you may come across ideas that can be used to improve the performance of objects in your database. For instance, you may discover new ways of examining or processing your data to get the desired results.
In recognition of the fact that most databases can be "tweaked" to be better in some ways, Access includes a performance analyzer that you can use to provide helpful hints. To see how the performance analyzer works, load the Customer database used earlier in this book. Then choose the Analyze option from the Tools menu. From the resulting submenu, choose the Performance option. Access displays the Performance Analyzer dialog box, as shown in Figure 10-13.
Figure 10-13 The Performance Analyzer dialog box.
The Performance Analyzer allows you to examine virtually any object in your database. You can use the tabs in the dialog box to display the different objects available. To see how the Performance Analyzer works, select the Business Customers object by clicking your mouse on the check box to the left of the object name. You should then click your mouse on the OK button.
Shortly, the Performance Analyzer displays the results of its analysis, as shown in Figure 10-14. The analysis can contain three different types of results: Recommendations, Suggestions, and Ideas. This particular results screen shows only Ideas.
Figure 10-14 The Performance Analyzer results screen.
You can see the reasoning behind a specific Recommendation, Suggestion, or Idea by selecting that particular item on the results screen. The information at the bottom of the screen indicates the considerations in making the change, as well as how you go about the change. If the result is either a Recommendation or a Suggestion, you can select the result and click your mouse on the Optimize button to make the change. For Ideas, the Optimize button is not available. Instead, you must simply follow the instructions at the bottom of the screen.
When you are through making your changes based on the Performance Analyzer results, click your mouse on the Close button to return to working with Access.
Learn Access Now! Chapter 9 Previous Section in Chapter 10 Next Section in Chapter 10 Chapter 11