Dissecting SQL Server Execution Plans (Kindle Edition)

by Grant Fritchey (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Execution plans show you what's going on behind the scenes in SQL Server. They can provide you with a wealth of information on how your queries are being executed by SQL Server, including which indexes are getting used and where no indexes are being used at all; how the data is being retrieved, and joined, from the tables defined in your query; how aggregations in GROUP BY queries are put together and the anticipated load, and the estimated cost, that all these operations place upon the system. All this information makes the execution plan a vitally important tool in the tool belt of database administrator, database developers, report writers, developers, and pretty much anyone who writes TSQL to access data in a SQL Server database. The goal with this book was to gather as much useful information on execution plans as possible into a single location, and to organize it in such as way that it provided a clear route through the subject, right from the basics of capturing plans, through their interpretation, and then onto how to use them to understand how you might optimize your SQL queries, improve your indexing strategy, spot some common performance issues, and more.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 3207 KB
• Print Length: 252 pages
• Publisher: Simple Talk Publishing (April 28, 2008)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0018PCIFG
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,941 in Kindle Store (See Bestsellers in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truely excellent book for the beginner or professional, March 16, 2009

By	North Providence RI (North Providence RI) - See all my reviews

To those of us that have struggled with optimizing queries, this books is a must and what is more... you do not have to be a rocket scientist to work through the book. The examples are excellent, well thoughout BUT more importantly one wants to work through the examples, which to me was the selling point of the book. There were concepts that I had never thought about. Dear reader, this book is worth every cent.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional detail and comfortable writing style, September 11, 2009

By	David Martin "lifetime learner" (South Florida, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: SQL Server Execution Plans (Paperback)

If you are one of those people (like me) who wonder why Sql Server does certain things (like ignoring your well-planned-out index), or if your professional pride requires that you deploy sql code which other professionals cannot laugh at, then you *must* understand the basic details of the SS Query Optimizer.
This book is thin, omits all of the traditional 'fluff' abstractions, and delivers the details through 'work-along-side-me' examples. The author is not-so-much writing a book as training a 'junior' administrator on how to understand queries and their execution. It is a streamlined training session on one specific topic, and can be consumed (and digested) in a few sit-down sessions.
The level of detail is much finer than any introductory book on Sql administration (or programming), but does not try to match the atomicity of Delaney's "Inside Microsoft Sql Server 2005" series. (Delaney's books are excellent academic achievements which will make you dizzy, lightheaded (possibly nauseous) at the first reading.)
I read Fritchey's book on a Friday evening, and spent the weekend working the examples on my own system. By Monday I was comfortable with troubleshooting many weak t-sql queries at the office, and it gave me the experience I needed to start practicing on creating 'useful' indexes.
This book gives a very good explanation on the topic of 'selectivity', which is the single most important principle of indexing in Sql Server.
The book is a good way to 'get your feet wet' with using Sql Profiler (rather than waiting until serious issues require you to learn on-the-job).
The book is a required follow-up book to the 70-444 (Self Based Training Kit) for Sql Server 2005 DBA certification. I got 2 answers correct because Fritchey's book taught me something the 70-444 SBTK forgot to explain.
This book is also available as an e-book (which I also have) but I suggest getting the paperback version because you will want to flip back pages to compare examples ... something aggrevating to do with an e-book.
COMPLAINTS:
1. The editors should be shot! There are spelling errors, missing letters, and punctuation goofs in several paragraphs causing you to stop, rewind and procede again to get Fritchey's point. The proofreaders let the author down on this one.
2. The book says examples are available on a website, but I could not find them there (possibly I am to stupid to locate them).