SQL Server is a relational database management system developed by Microsoft. As a database server, it is a software product with the primary function of storing and retrieving data as requested by other software applications. This book starts by describing the inner workings of the query optimizer, and will enable you to use this knowledge to write better queries and provide the query engine with all the information it needs to produce efficient execution plans. As you progress, you’ll get practical query optimization tips for troubleshooting underperforming queries. The book will also guide you through intelligent query processing and what is new in SQL Server 2022. Query performance topics such as the Query Store, In-Memory OLTP and columnstore indexes are covered as well. By the end of this book, you’ll be able to get the best possible performance for your queries and applications.