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

Understanding the need for lightweight profiling

If you are asking yourself why you would want to know about an obscure Database Engine component named Query Profiling Infrastructure, then read on. Not many database professionals know it by name, but most have dealt with it when they need to troubleshoot query performance issues in a production environment. When a SQL Server performance issue occurs, one of the first requirements is to understand which queries are being executed and how system resources are being used, and one of the most important artifacts anyone can use to find out more about queries that are executing is query plans.

Analyzing a query plan, also known as an estimated execution plan, means that we’re only looking at what SQL Server estimated should be a good-enough plan to return the intended results efficiently. But since an estimated plan is missing runtime data for analysis, it can’t truly provide a conclusive explanation for many query performance...