SQL 2005 Express: How to get those performance reports?

How do get go about being able to view those performance reports on SQL Server 2005 Express Edition; you know, these things (with the charts and bar graphs):

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  1. What are they called
  2. What do i have to install to access to them
  3. How do i access them?
  4. What are the SQL Server 2005 Performance Dashboard Reports
  5. How does #4 differ from #1
  6. When would one want to use #4 over #1

In SQL Server 2005 Somethingorother Edition, i right-click the server is "Enterprise Manager", select reports, and browse through them:

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No such context menu option exists in SQL Server 2005 Express Edition.

Note: i try to ask the high-level question of "how to make it work", because the answer can, in turn, trigger a dozen or two other questions. (Microsoft's been good at keeping information about SQL Server secret in recent years)


As with the other question you asked about Profiler, the issue is you're using SQL Server Management Studio Express Edition, which is a pared down version of SQL Server Management Studio. The ability to run reports is available in the full version of SQL Server Management Studio (with SQL Server 2005 I believe you have to apply SP2 to the client tools). So you'll need to have a full version of SSMS, connect to the Express edition, and run the reports.