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Query Performance comparison between instances

The Voice of the DBA

Better Coding, More Savings

This editorial was originally published on May 13, 2013. It is being re-run as Steve is on holiday.

I'm sure most of us would like to think that we write fairly efficient code. However the reality for many of us might be that we don't actually know. Many of us use the same patterns and practices that we've been using for a long time, rarely changing. When we learn a new technique or find a different way of coding that works better, we tend to then use that method over, and over, and over, and over again.

I would guess that if many of us profiled our code, and examined the CPU and network bandwidth we consume, we might be surprised at what we find. CPU and network usage isn't something we are often concerned about. We assume that we've bought a machine and we should be able to use as much of it as we can at any point in time. That's not the best approach, but since we often have more hardware than we need for many processes, it works. It also explains why so many applications struggle as the load increases. They're not coded efficiently.

If you're going to work in the cloud, you better learn to code more efficiently, mostly because it costs money. If you think about your design, you can reduce the amount of resources you use. In the cloud this translates to less cost. In the on-premises world, this means better performance and higher scale. It also means less complaints and phone calls.

Scaling up an application can be hard, but much of the struggle comes from poorly coding your application in the beginning. Most of us have heard the saying that it takes less time to do it right the first time. That's true in many situations, and it's true for your application development. Learn to write more efficient code and use patterns that conserve resources. You'll find your applications will run better, no matter what type of environment hosts them. If you're not sure what patterns and practices work well, read an article or ask a question and find out what efficient techniques others use.

Steve Jones from SQLServerCentral.com

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New Redgate SQL Compare 12 has landed!

SQL Compare 12 has landed with a brand new user interface, support for SQL Server 2016, and a wealth of fixes and improvements. Check out this blog post from Redgate's Carly Meichen to hear more about what’s new, why the team have built it, and how. Read now.

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How can you help your team write better, shareable SQL faster?

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How to Capture Deleted Records

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Which Indexes are not Used?

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During the development cycle, indexes will be placed on SQL Server tables to speed up performance when searching for records. Lots of thought probably has gone into creating just the right mix of indexes based on how developers think customers will use the system. But how do you tell if all the indexes are being used once your database has been implemented into production? More »

Managing multiple database versions

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Professional Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Reporting Services and Mobile Reports

Professional Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Reporting Services and Mobile Dashboards provides a comprehensive lesson in business intelligence (BI), operational reporting and Reporting Services architecture using a clear, concise tutorial approach. You'll learn effective report solution design based upon many years of experience with successful report solutions. Improve your own reports with advanced, best-practice design, usability, query design, and filtering. Get your copy from Amazon today.

Yesterday's Question of the Day

Yesterday's Question (by Steve Jones):

In SQL Server 2016 SP1+ Standard Edition, how many databases can be put in an Availability Group?

Answer: 1

Explanation:

In Standard edition of SQL Server 2016, no matter the service pack, only Basic Availability Groups are supported, which allow for a single database in the AG.

Ref: Basic Availability Groups - https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt614935.aspx

» Discuss this question and answer on the forums

Featured Script

Query Performance comparison between instances

Rodrigo Acosta from SQLServerCentral.com

Compares performance of queries between different SQL Server instances.

1) Execute at source, and will generate an output with TSQL commands to create temp tables filled with top 50 long lasting queries from all databases.

2) Then execute output at destination and will do the same and show comparison of matching queries!!

The query only creates temp tables and perform selects on dm_exec_query_stats, you can execute it without issues.

It will show comparision of query plans that hash to the same value.

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