10 questions to consider when optimizing your database

When it comes to database design, you can make some big performance improvements with some small changes. Here are some basic rules to keep in mind.

Following certain standards and design rules can help ensure that you have a consistent and optimized database. But it's easy to let some of the smaller details slip through, especially when a large group is involved in development. You can double-check your design with an eye toward improving performance by asking the questions on this list, such as:

• Do you use smalldatetime rather than datetime?
• Do you routinely use the bit data type rather than smallint?
• Do you make use of Standard Columns?
• Do you name your stored procedures using the prefix sp_?

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