Streamlining Web Application Performance

This article discusses some performance tuning tips for those who use ASP.NET as front-end and Microsoft SQL Server as back-end to develop their applications.

Performance is the prime factor in the development of all type of applications. It becomes extremely important for a web application. Here are some guidelines for improving the application performance.

On the ASp.net Side

• Viewstate dramatically increase page size so use viewstate for controls carefully.
  
  
• Use static or shared variable instead of application variable.
  
  
• Use AJAX where ever possible.
  
  
• Avoid writing inline code.
  
  
• Use server.tranfer instead of response.redirect whenever possible.
  
  
• Avoid using datagrid. Use repeater and datalist where ever possible.
  
  
• Avoid use of a Throw to control the application flow: As it is an expensive operation, it should be used only when the execution must be stopped.
  
  
• Avoid overuse of exception handling block: Do not place try's in everywhere in the code. Put just in places where you can't have control
  
  
• Avoid huge methods: It is preferably small ones, which do just one single purpose. Huge methods, doing so many things tend to get even bigger, and the code tends to become slower for every maintenance.
  
  
• Datasets are too costly. when using them; try to fetch max data in dataset once and then consume this dataset.

On The MSSQL Side

• As everyone know, use stored procedure instead of writing long text queries. Stored procedures use compiled execution, are stored permanently on the back-end thus executes dramatically faster than text queries. When your SQL Server is located on another server and accessed over a network, stored procedures can help you to reduce network taffic as simple data elements are passed through the backend rather thang long text queries.
  
  
• Never name your stored procedure with the prefix sp_. This prefix is internal to Microsoft SQL Server for looking for sp's in master db, so when you name your sp with sp_ firstly, the server will look for it in master table.
  
  
• Avoid SELECT * FROM TABLE: This generate an internal select on syscolumns to determine which columns is going to be returned. Instead specify individual column names.
  
  
• If possible, avoid table scans Try to insert at least an index for every table.