Productivity

database-performance-debugging

aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts · updated Apr 8, 2026

$npx skills add https://github.com/aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill database-performance-debugging
summary

Database performance issues directly impact application responsiveness. Debugging focuses on identifying slow queries and optimizing execution plans.

skill.md

Database Performance Debugging

Table of Contents

Overview

Database performance issues directly impact application responsiveness. Debugging focuses on identifying slow queries and optimizing execution plans.

When to Use

  • Slow application response times
  • High database CPU
  • Slow queries identified
  • Performance regression
  • Under load stress

Quick Start

Minimal working example:

-- Enable slow query log (MySQL)
SET GLOBAL slow_query_log = 'ON';
SET GLOBAL long_query_time = 0.5;

-- View slow queries
SHOW GLOBAL STATUS LIKE 'Slow_queries';
SELECT * FROM mysql.slow_log;

-- PostgreSQL slow queries
CREATE EXTENSION pg_stat_statements;
SELECT mean_exec_time, calls, query
FROM pg_stat_statements
ORDER BY mean_exec_time DESC LIMIT 10;

-- SQL Server slow queries
SELECT TOP 10
  execution_count,
  total_elapsed_time,
  statement_text
FROM sys.dm_exec_query_stats
ORDER BY total_elapsed_time DESC;

-- Query profiling
EXPLAIN ANALYZE
SELECT * FROM orders WHERE user_id = 123;
// ... (see reference guides for full implementation)

Reference Guides

Detailed implementations in the references/ directory:

Guide Contents
Identify Slow Queries Identify Slow Queries
Common Issues & Solutions Common Issues & Solutions
Execution Plan Analysis Execution Plan Analysis
Debugging Process Debugging Process

Best Practices

✅ DO

  • Follow established patterns and conventions
  • Write clean, maintainable code
  • Add appropriate documentation
  • Test thoroughly before deploying

❌ DON'T

  • Skip testing or validation
  • Ignore error handling
  • Hard-code configuration values