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

Summary

From the set of regressed workloads that the SQL Database Engine team has handled over the years, the initial scenarios covered by QTA and CE Feedback are some of the most common after a database compatibility level upgrade (and, therefore, a CE upgrade), which can make users question whether to upgrade. But that is just because when upgrading from an old version, such as SQL Server 2008 or 2012, our T-SQL queries were fully tuned to the only CE model set that existed at the time. When some aspects of cardinality estimation changed, there was a possibility that some queries would have to be tuned for the new models. Fortunately, the SQL Database Engine team believes that backward compatibility is an asset in the SQL Database Engine and included these hints, which allow selective tuning opportunities for the scenarios covered by QTA and CE Feedback, as well as others less common not covered by QTA nor CE Feedback.

Whether you choose to use QTA or not, following the recommended...