Best practices for maximum performance and scalability gains for SQL Server workloads

We have worked with our colleagues in CSS to publish a KB article that lists recommended configuration and tuning options as well as necessary updates for SQL Server if you are running one of the newer versions of SQL Server on modern hardware. A typical configuration of this high performance workload environment comprises SQL Server 2012 or SQL Server 2014 on Windows Server 2012 or R2 with 64+ cores and 1TB RAM. Consider applying the fixes listed in the KB article below along with enabling trace flags (as appropriate) to get maximum benefit in terms of performance and scalability for the database engine. The KB article provides additional guidance on specifics of various fixes and configuration options.

2964518 Recommended updates and configuration options for SQL Server 2012 and SQL Server 2014 used with high-performance workloads