In the database world, faster means better. Every query, no matter how well written, can execute faster. If we look from a different angle, every query over time can execute slower than it initially did. Everything is okay with your database, but the internal mechanisms of inserting, updating, and deleting can create fragmentation inside database files, which can cause a degradation in performance. There are many reasons for poor performance: one of them is the inappropriate process of indexing data inside the tables. SQL Server has strong indexing foundations.
This chapter will introduce you to the basics of:
- Indexing concepts
- Clustered index
- Concept of heap
- Non-clustered index
- Columnstore index