SQL Server commands to clear caches before running a performance comparison

Question

When comparing the execution time of two different queries, it's important to clear the cache to make sure that the execution of the first query does not alter the performance of the second.

In a Google Search, I could find these commands:

DBCC FREESYSTEMCACHE
DBCC FREESESSIONCACHE
DBCC FREEPROCCACHE

In fact, my queries are taking a more realistic time to complete after several executions than before. However, I'm not sure this is the recommended technique.

What's the best practice?

Answer 1

Personally, for a common query the 2nd and subsequent executions matter more.
Are you testing disk IO or query performance?

Assuming your query runs often and is critical, then you want to measure that under real life conditions. And you don't want to clear prod server caches each time...

If you want, you can

• DBCC DROPCLEANBUFFERS clears buffer pool
• DBCC FLUSHPROCINDB clears execution plans for that database

Also see (on DBA.SE)

• http://dba.stackexchange.com/q/7859/630

Answer 2

I was always told to use:

dbcc dropcleanbuffers;

From MSDN:

Use DBCC DROPCLEANBUFFERS to test queries with a cold buffer cache without shutting down and restarting the server.

To drop clean buffers from the buffer pool, first use CHECKPOINT to produce a cold buffer cache. This forces all dirty pages for the current database to be written to disk and cleans the buffers. After you do this, you can issue DBCC DROPCLEANBUFFERS command to remove all buffers from the buffer pool.