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 where QTA and CE Feedback are needed

The CE version that our databases use directly influences how query plans are created for queries that will be executed in those databases. And we have seen first-hand the effects of the CE every time we compared estimated number of rows with actual number of rows throughout the book – for example, in the Query plan comparison section of Chapter 9, Comparative Analysis of Query Plans, where we dealt with the Row Goal optimization scenario.

When upgrading from older versions of the SQL Database Engine to newer versions (for example, an older SQL Server version to Azure SQL Database or SQL Server 2022), we need to be conscious of how upgrading from an older CE version to a newer CE can affect our workloads – benefits are expected for the most part, but regressions can happen. For example, we discussed in Chapter 6, Discovering T-SQL Anti-Patterns in Depth, how the latest versions of the SQL Database Engine solve classic...