Default application settings are aimed at the average user. With SQL Server being installed hundreds of thousands, if not millions of times across the globe, this average is inevitably far from your specific use case. With that in mind, we must take a look at what settings are available inside SQL Server that you can change to allow SQL Server to perform better. We will discuss settings that can provide immediate improvements at the instance, database or object level. You will leave this session with an understanding of what settings are available to you and how to approach making changes to your environment that can cause great performance improvements, without having to change your applications.