During performance tuning, it is imperative that we have data regarding the pain points (slow performing queries, high CPU utilizing queries, etc.). What tools are useful in getting these info?

Dynamic Management Views (DMVs) provide runtime statistics about query performance, resource utilization, and indexes. DBCC commands like DBCC SHOW_STATISTICS and DBCC FREEPROCCACHE help diagnose and manage performance. Query Plans reveal actual execution strategies and bottlenecks. BCP (Bulk Copy Program) is a data import/export utility, not a performance diagnostics tool. The first three are essential for identifying slow queries and high CPU usage.