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

Knobs for query optimization

As advanced as the query optimization process is, inefficient plans are still a possibility, which is why a database developer can use hints in the T-SQL statement and guide the Query Optimizer toward producing an intended plan. There are several classes of thoroughly documented query hints that affect query optimization, and it is important to call out a few that can be useful when troubleshooting a query performance issue, some of which we will use in upcoming chapters.

Note

Keep in mind that hints force certain behaviors with T-SQL statement optimization and execution. Microsoft recommends that hints are thoroughly tested and only used as a last resort. Hinted statements must be reviewed with every upgrade to a major version to determine if they are still needed since new versions may change behavior, rendering the hint unnecessary or even harmful.

Let’s look at some of the available hints for the Query Optimizer:

  • FORCE ORDER...