Book Image

Learn T-SQL Querying - Second Edition

By : Pedro Lopes, Pam Lahoud
Book Image

Learn T-SQL Querying - Second Edition

By: Pedro Lopes, Pam Lahoud

Overview of this book

Data professionals seeking to excel in Transact-SQL (T-SQL) for Microsoft SQL Server and Azure SQL Database often lack comprehensive resources. This updated second edition of Learn T-SQL Querying focuses on indexing queries and crafting elegant T-SQL code, catering to all data professionals seeking mastery in modern SQL Server versions and Azure SQL Database. Starting with query processing fundamentals, this book lays a solid foundation for writing performant T-SQL queries. You’ll explore the mechanics of the Query Optimizer and Query Execution Plans, learning how to analyze execution plans for insights into current performance and scalability. Through dynamic management views (DMVs) and dynamic management functions (DMFs), you’ll build diagnostic queries. This book thoroughly covers indexing for T-SQL performance and provides insights into SQL Server’s built-in tools for expedited resolution of query performance and scalability issues. Further, hands-on examples will guide you through implementing features such as avoiding UDF pitfalls, understanding predicate SARGability, Query Store, and Query Tuning Assistant. By the end of this book, you‘ll have developed the ability to identify query performance bottlenecks, recognize anti-patterns, and skillfully avoid such pitfalls.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
1
Part 1: Query Processing Fundamentals
4
Part 2: Dos and Don’ts of T-SQL
9
Part 3: Assembling Our Query Troubleshooting Toolbox

Building Diagnostic Queries Using DMVs and DMFs

Dynamic management views (DMVs) and dynamic management functions (DMFs) expose relevant real-time information that can unlock the secrets of T-SQL execution and SQL Database Engine health, even on a live production server. There are hundreds of DMVs and DMFs (collectively referred to as DMVs) available in the SQL Database Engine, and while they are mostly documented, it may not be obvious how they can be used by database developers and administrators to troubleshoot performance both in production systems and during the development process.

In this chapter, we will start by enumerating some of the DMVs that are most relevant for both T-SQL developers and database administrators alike to troubleshoot T-SQL query performance. Building on this information, we will provide real-world examples to explore how to use DMVs to troubleshoot different poor-performance scenarios, as well as give us the information needed to begin building our own...