SQL Server architect David Poole sets about exploring sp_prepexec when called from nHibernate.  Read more...

Should we really avoid cursors? See how to rewrite code to avoid cursors and also analyze the implications.   Read more...

'Split, Sort & Collapse' is, happily, not a description of the intrepid Fabiano Amorim after his epic series of articles about the ShowPlan operators. With renewed stamina, Fabiano continues his mission to describe all the major operators by explaining the Trivial Plan and the power of unique indices.   Read more...

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Fabiano introduces another ShowPlan operator that is used to build a query plan, or perform an operation specified in the DML. Once again, Fabiano demonstrates why it is important to be aware of these operators when getting queries to perform well.  Read more...

In the concluding part of the Physical Operators series we look at the Hash operator.  Read more...

Part II of the Physical Joins series looks at the Merge operator.  Read more...

Continuing to illuminate the depths of SQL Server's Query Optimizer, Fabiano shines a light on the sixth major Showplan Operator on his list: the Lazy Spool. What does the Lazy Spool do that's so special, how does the Query Optimizer use it, and why is it so Lazy? Fabiano Amorim explains all.  Read more...

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Every day, out in the SQL Server forums, the same questions come up again and again: why is this query running slow? Why isn't my index getting used? In order to arrive at the answer you have to ask the same return question in each case: have you looked at the execution plan? Grant Fritchey provides the only dedicated and detailed book on this essential topic.   Read more...

Keeping in mind the importance of the cache mechanism, how could one get the plans and their usage statistics in SQL Server?  Read more...

Learning how to read and analyze execution plans takes time and effort. But once you gain some experience, you will find them an essential skill for getting to grips with performance issues in SQL Server Queries. Grant here describes the range of execution plans for different simple SQL Queries.  Read more...

Should we really avoid cursors? See how to rewrite code to avoid cursors and also analyze the implications.   Read more...