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

Introducing DMVs

SQL Server 2005 introduced a new concept in the Database Engine – the SQL Operating System (SQLOS). The SQLOS is an abstraction layer that encapsulates all the low-level resource management and monitoring tasks that the SQL Database Engine must perform while providing an application programming interface (API) for other components of the Database Engine to leverage these services. Not only does this centralization of resource management code make the SQL Database Engine more efficient, but it also provides a central location for monitoring various aspects of Database Engine performance. DMVs take advantage of this centralized architecture by providing the user with a mechanism to view this information in a way that is lightweight and accurate.

DMVs allow the user to query memory structures in SQLOS. Some DMVs show information that is only relevant for the specific point in time at which they are queried, while other DMVs show cumulative information that goes...