SQL Tuning

Book Description

A poorly performing database application not only costs users time, but also has an impact on other applications running on the same computer or the same network. SQL Tuning provides an essential next step for SQL developers and database administrators who want to extend their SQL tuning expertise and get the most from their database applications. There are two basic issues to focus on when tuning SQL: how to find and interpret the execution plan of an SQL statement and how to change SQL to get a specific alternate execution plan. SQL Tuning provides answers to these questions and addresses a third issue that's even more important: how to find the optimal execution plan for the query to use. Author Dan Tow outlines a timesaving method he's developed for finding the optimum execution plan--rapidly and systematically--regardless of the complexity of the SQL or the database platform being used. You'll learn how to understand and control SQL execution plans and how to diagram SQL queries to deduce the best execution plan for a query. Key chapters in the book include exercises to reinforce the concepts you've learned. SQL Tuning concludes by addressing special concerns and unique solutions to "unsolvable problems." Whether you are a programmer who develops SQL-based applications or a database administrator or other who troubleshoots poorly tuned applications, SQL Tuning will arm you with a reliable and deterministic method for tuning your SQL queries to gain optimal performance.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent resource for the Oracle DBA.......2007-01-09

Dan Tow has created a marvelous resource. With complex queries, it is often uncertain what is the best query plan. Dan Tow takes the mystery out of that process. He details a methodology that will give you the best query plan with a high degree of certainty. He also provides insights into how to achive the desired query plan.

A Work of Genius.......2006-07-22

I have withdrawn my earlier review because I did not properly understand the importance of this book until the second reading. That is a difficult admission to make since my business is database performance tuning.

This book is about tuning SQL queries in a systematic and scientific manner. It is above all about determining the optimum order in which the query engine should access the tables involved. My quibble was that join order is only a part of the whole tuning problem and most of the time the query optimizer got it right anyway. While this is true, I see now that it misses the point.

The fact that the optimizer gets it right so often allows us to take join order for granted. But how do we know the optimizer got it right unless we know what the optimum join order is? That is what this book teaches, a methodology and an elegant system of notation that allows us to determine the optimum join order of the most complex query. As the author points out, the number of possible join orders increases factorially with the number of tables involved. An 8 table join has 40,320 possible join orders. That rules out trial and error for all but the simplest queries.

It turns out that analyzing and diagramming according to Tow's method gives you a deep architectural understanding of the query and the problems that face you. It gives you a plan to which you can apply the tools of the trade, indexes, code optimization, etc.

This is a book that will be on the shelf of serious performance tuning professionals for as long as SQL is the language of data manipulation.

The first real SQL Tuning method........2006-02-27

I have worked with Oracle databases and SQL tuning since 1987, and the reason I recommend Dan's book so highly to anyone working with SQL is that his method is the first real method I've seen in this field. There are many approaches out there, but they all fall into the Guess & Grimacing or Checklist categories. Dan's is a REAL method, and it works for all SQL-based databases. It's so far the only SQL tuning book I can recommend. Any DBA, developer and troubleshooter working with database-centric systems should know this stuff.

Mogens

excellect condition.......2006-01-16

like new as described,fast shipment.

A Real Job Saver .......2005-07-28

I was entangled in the web of horrible response time queries, not knowing what to do (except the darn hit ratios were maximum). In utter frustration, I was putting an index here and dropping an index there, inserting a hint here and then setting a parameter there.

Within 1 day of reading Mr. Dan Tow book, I was able to bring my biggest thorn query from 8 hours response time to just 10 minutes. Boy was I blissful. Certainly Dan Diagrams rock.

Average customer rating:

Method R: Optimizing Oracle Performance Using Extended SQL Trace Data
A real page turner
Superb book
Excellent performance book
Dated - but good nonetheless

Optimizing Oracle Performance
Cary Millsap , and Jeffrey Holt
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 059600527X

Book Description

Oracle system performance inefficiencies often go undetected for months or even years--even under intense scrutiny--because traditional Oracle performance analysis methods and tools are fundamentally flawed. They're unreliable and inefficient. Oracle DBAs and developers are all too familiar with the outlay of time and resources, blown budgets, missed deadlines, and marginally effective performance fiddling that is commonplace with traditional methods of Oracle performance tuning. In this crucial book, Cary Millsap, former VP of Oracle's System Performance Group, clearly and concisely explains how to use Oracle's response time statistics to diagnose and repair performance problems. Cary also shows how "queueing theory" can be applied to response time statistics to predict the impact of upgrades and other system changes. Optimizing Oracle Performance eliminates the time-consuming, trial-and-error guesswork inherent in most conventional approaches to tuning. You can determine exactly where a system's performance problem is, and with equal importance, where it is not, in just a few minutes--even if the problem is several years old. Optimizing Oracle Performance cuts a path through the complexity of current tuning methods, and streamlines an approach that focuses on optimization techniques that any DBA can use quickly and successfully to make noticeable--even dramatic--improvements. For example, the one thing database users care most about is response time. Naturally, DBAs focus much of their time and effort towards improving response time. But it is entirely too easy to spend hundreds of hours to improve important system metrics such as hit ratios, average latencies, and wait times, only to find users are unable to perceive the difference. And an expensive hardware upgrade may not help either. It doesn't have to be that way. Technological advances have added impact, efficiency, measurability, predictive capacity, reliability, speed, and practicality to the science of Oracle performance optimization. Optimizing Oracle Performance shows you how to slash the frustration and expense associated with unraveling the true root cause of any type of performance problem, and reliably predict future performance. The price of this essential book will be paid back in hours saved the first time its methods are used.

Customer Reviews:

Method R: Optimizing Oracle Performance Using Extended SQL Trace Data.......2007-04-03

There are certain "camps" in the worldwide Oracle community. For example, there is the "Oak Table Network" of "Oracle scientists" who seek thorough understandings of issues backed up by details, tests and proofs. Contrasting is the "Silver Bullet" family of field-tested generals who prefer rules of thumb and quick fixes even it means some false understandings and occasionally being wrong. Cary Millsap (of the Oak Table Network) stands as someone respected by both sides.

Cary Millsap worked at Oracle for 10 years on system performance before co-founding Hotsos in 1999 [...]. He is one of the most trusted sources on matters of Oracle system performance, and "Optimizing Oracle Performance" is considered his finest work (4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon). The best way to learn more about him is to see for yourself. Here are some of his most popular articles:

"Diagnosing Performance Problems" from Oracle Magazine. A brief summary of what is covered in this book[...]

"Introduction", the first chapter from "Optimizing Oracle Performance."Chapter 1: [...]

"Case Study", the 12th chapter from "Optimizing Oracle Performance."Chapter 12 (Case Study): [...]

"Performance Management: Myths and Facts." One of his most popular articles.[...]

"Why a 99%+ Database Buffer Cache Hit Ratio is Not Ok." Another of his more popular articles.[...]

While everyone will have their own favourite parts of the book, I think most readers would agree that getting a good taste of the author's performance tuning philosophy is one of the highlights. "Method R", not to be confused with "System R" (ie. SQL), is not about looking at STATSPACK, cache hit ratios, or V$ tables and guessing. The author wanted to devise a system to identify and resolve the top performance concerns of an organisation with reliable, predictable results. The first few chapters put this method in writing in perhaps the best way since the introduction of "YAPP" (Anjo Kolk).

"The performance enhancement possible with a given improvement is limited by the fraction of the execution time that the improved feature is used." - Amdahl's Law

After several years of research, the author discovered that Extended SQL Trace Data was at the centre of "Method R". Some of the articles should give you a good taste of what Extended SQL Trace data is, if you didn't know already. By the time you finish reading this book you will know exactly how to collect and interpret all the little "ela=17101 p1=10 p2=2213 p3=1 ..." within into something meaningful. For some, that justifies the price tag right there.

So in essence I would have re-named this book "Method R: Optimizing Oracle Performance Using Extended SQL Trace Data," because that is basically what this book is about. There are some reasonably "stand-alone" chapters on other topics, for instance on the Oracle Fixed View tables (Chapter 8) and on Queueing Theory (Chapter 9), but that is not the primary focus of the book.

Those that are expecting a more broad treatment of the subject of performance tuning may be justifiably disappointed that it basically covers only this narrow aspect. However, it is covered very well, and it isn't really covered anywhere else. The author makes no apologies for this, claiming that extended SQL trace data is the only resource you will ever need for diagnosing and solving performance problems.

"You cannot extrapolate detail from an aggregate." - Cary Millsap's preference of SQL extended trace data over fixed views (system-wide average performance characteristics)

Indeed, some people might contend that the author spends a little too much time stating his beliefs, defending them, and patting himself on the back. But I think it adds a certain flavour to the book, and I respect an author who backs up his statements.

"Proving that V$ data are superior to extended SQL trace data because of the 'missing time' issue is analagous to proving that its safer to be in a room with a hungry bear if you'll just close your eyes." - Cary Millsap

The book can be a tough read in the sense that the author goes very deep into the material, and generally each subject is treated thoroughly. Chapter 9 on Queueing Theory can be a particularly overwhelming chapter. But the material is served in bite-size pieces, and broken up with tips, tricks, stories, diagrams and code (sometimes 3+ pages worth at a time, embedded directly in the middle of a chapter). There are even worthwhile exercises at the end of each chapter.

In the end, I enjoyed this book and I'm glad I got it. I don't consider it a "must have" for your Oracle collection, but I definitely feel it is quite worthwhile. I recommend it especially to those who read his articles and were very comfortable with his writing style and philosophy, and also to those that need a book on extended SQL trace data (because this is basically the only one). But even those in the "Silver Bullet" camp will be glad to add another tool to their belt.

Thumbs up.

A real page turner.......2006-10-02

This book is so interesting that on a couple occasions I've fallen asleep reading it, because I want to "find out what happens next" -- not because it is boring. Even the chapter on queueing theory that has a lot of math in it is understandable and interesting, even though I have a mild aversion to math.

It has highlighted a lot of very useful techniques to ensure you focus on the true problems, and not the various ratios we've taken as absolute truth for so many years. I can't wait to try these concepts out!

Superb book.......2006-02-07

I like the wait approach very much. DIS buk prezNts a scientific approach 2 prob diagnosis & performance optimization. DIS aLowz optimization F4tz 2 b consistent & repeatable. DIS buk tAkz Oracle prob diagnosis & tuning out of d realm of bn a BWO art.

Excellent performance book.......2005-12-07

I purchased this book and did not open it for about 4 months. After reading the first 25 pages or so I became motivated to read more and finish it. It took me about 2 weeks to read through the entire book. The author does a really good job of detailing how to use Oracle tracing to troubleshoot performance related issues. With no shortage of Oracle performance tuning books this is definitely one of the better ones. This book must be one of the best performance related books because you can read it cover to cover. The book is packed with detail so you will reread several pages a few times, kind of like being in college and spending a couple of hours reviewing a couple of pages out of Calculus book.

If you are at all serious about becoming better at Oracle tuning this is a great book to read.

Dated - but good nonetheless.......2005-11-26

The wait event approach to tuning is outdated, but Millsap has done a remarkable job of getting into the insides of Oracle and he shows many techniques for improving Oracle performance.

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Performance Optimization and Tuning Handbook

Average customer rating:

Not all it appears
Comments from Gavin Pawell...
Excellent Book for Teaching Yourself Performance Tuning

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Performance Optimization and Tuning Handbook
Ken England , and Gavin JT Powell
Manufacturer: Digital Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1555583199

Book Description

Database professionals will find that this new edition aids in mastering the latest version of Microsofts SQL Server. Developers and database administrators (DBAs) use SQL on a daily basis in application development and the subsequent problem solving and fine tuning. Answers to SQL issues can be quickly located helping the DBA or developer optimize and tune a database to maximum efficiency.

Basic questions are easily located on the topics of filtering, sorting, operators, conditionals, pseudo columns, single row functions, joins, grouping functions, sub queries, composite queries, hierarchies, flashback queries, parallel queries, expressions and regular expressions. Assistance on DML, data types (including collections), XML, DDL for basic database objects such as tales, views and indexes, partitioning, and security is also considered.

* Identifies the most common issues DBAs face day to day for easy reference
*Provides DBAs with solutions actually used by the authors in enterprise environments to resolve common and specialized problems to optimization issues.
* Addresses issues that have been introduced by new features which can add more control but reduce performance.

Customer Reviews:

Not all it appears.......2007-10-04

I know Ken England well. Although his name is on the book he did not write it. He stopped writing books with his SQL Server 2000 Performance Edition. This all came as an unpleasant surprise to him as not only did he not write any new material for the 2005 book but he did not even get sent a copy of the book to proof.
He told me it's not great to see your name on a book you have neither written nor read but publishers apparently reserve the (legal) right to do this!

Comments from Gavin Pawell..........2007-09-05

I emailed the Introduction person for this book questioning the comments in the first chapter about Clustering...This is the email from him:

>>Gavin
I didn't write the book with him. He wrote the first two editions. This his name is on the book. I updated the book for SQL Server 2005. I'm an Oracle tuning expert and a technical writer. The person who was assigned by the publisher to tech proof the title turned out to be a DB2 person, neither Oracle or SQL Server. I don't know why the publisher picked a DB2 person to tech proof the book. I tried to insist on a SQL Server 2005 tech proof person but the publisher failed to do this. My most sincere and profuse apologies if you are finding things which are out of date. Please return the book to the retailer you purchased it from if it is too out of date. The original versions written by Ken England were very well received.

Regards - Gavin Powell

>>Me________________________________________
From: Thomas L
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 5:31 PM
Subject: RE: Clustering in book MS sql server 2005 - PerformanceOptimization & Tuning
Cannot find his email address anywhere in the book. If you wrote a book with him, I am sure you can find an email address for me.

Thanks,
Thomas
From: EZPowell H
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 8:05 PM
To: Thomas L
Subject: RE: Clustering in book MS sql server 2005 - PerformanceOptimization & Tuning

Please ask Ken Engloand this question. Thanks

Regards - Gavin Powell

________________________________________
From: Thomas L
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 4:31 PM
Subject: Clustering in book MS sql server 2005 - Performance Optimization & Tuning
The book makes comments about Clustering on Page 15 as not like a Hot Standby but "...provides more capacity and up-time by allowing connections and requests to be serviced by more than one computer in a cluster of computers." I do not see anywhere how SQL Server can do this. You can have a node in a cluster to fail over to another active server or passive server.
Please show me where this capability is in Books online or other reference material.
Thanks,
Thomas L

Excellent Book for Teaching Yourself Performance Tuning.......2007-06-09

I found this book an enjoyable read, (if you can say that about a SQL Performance Tuning book). It was not like reading a 'SQL cookbook' or a training text book. It was more of a self-improvement book. It showed you the basics, discussed how they related to one another and helped to change way I thought about tuning and the way I attacked the task of optimizing my SQL 2005 servers. This is a must for anyone who works with data warehouses, multiple server enviroments and any type of BI on a daily basis.

Average customer rating:

Highly recommended!
Might not be for you
VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
Absolute Necessity For MySQL Developers
an excellent book

MySQL Stored Procedure Programming
Guy Harrison , and Steven Feuerstein
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0596100892

Book Description

The implementation of stored procedures in MySQL 5.0 a huge milestone -- one that is expected to lead to widespread enterprise adoption of the already extremely popular MySQL database. If you are serious about building the web-based database applications of the future, you need to get up to speed quickly on how stored procedures work -- and how to build them the right way. This book, destined to be the bible of stored procedure development, is a resource that no real MySQL programmer can afford to do without.

In the decade since MySQL burst on the scene, it has become the dominant open source database, with capabilities and performance rivaling those of commercial RDBMS offerings like Oracle and SQL Server. Along with Linux and PHP, MySQL is at the heart of millions of applications. And now, with support for stored procedures, functions, and triggers in MySQL 5.0, MySQL offers the programming power needed for true enterprise use.

MySQL's new procedural language has a straightforward syntax, making it easy to write simple programs. But it's not so easy to write secure, easily maintained, high-performance, and bug-free programs. Few in the MySQL world have substantial experience yet with stored procedures, but Guy Harrison and Steven Feuerstein have decades of combined expertise.

In MySQL Stored Procedure Programming, they put that hard-won experience to good use. Packed with code examples and covering everything from language basics to application building to advanced tuning and best practices, this highly readable book is the one-stop guide to MySQL development. It consists of four major sections:

MySQL stored programming fundamentals -- tutorial, basic statements, SQL in stored programs, and error handling
Building MySQL stored programs -- transaction handling, built-in functions, stored functions, and triggers
MySQL stored programs in applications -- using stored programs with PHP, Java, Perl, Python, and .NET (C# and VB.NET)
Optimizing MySQL stored programs -- security, basic and advanced SQL tuning, optimizing stored program code, and programming best practices

A companion web site contains many thousands of lines of code, that you can put to use immediately.

Guy Harrison is Chief Architect of Database Solutions at Quest Software and a frequent speaker and writer on MySQL topics. Steven Feuerstein is the author of Oracle PL/SQL Programming, the classic reference for Oracle stored programming for more than ten years. Both have decades of experience as database developers, and between them they have authored a dozen books.

Customer Reviews:

Highly recommended!.......2007-06-08

It walks you through writing, maintaining, and debugging stored procedures. It can be used as a reference and tutorial.
I found Part IV Optimizing Stored Programs particularly useful.

Might not be for you.......2007-01-03

I've found that just about any book on Stored Procedures will work fine for MySQL 5 programmers... so don't feel tied to books with MySQL in the name to learn about the topic. I've seen other books and websites which were easier for me to understand. Not sure if it was a reading/writing style conflict or what... but I ended up not keeping this one.

VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!.......2006-10-08

Are you a MySQL programmer? If you are, then this book is for you. Authors Guy Harrison and Steven Feuerstein, have done an outstanding job of writing a book that will help MySQL practitioners realize the full potential of MySQL stored programs.

Harrison and Feuerstein, begin by introducing the MySQL stored program language and provide a detailed description of the language structure and usage. Then, the authors describe how you can use the MySQL elements to build functional and useful store programs. The authors then show you how to use the stored programs within applications.
Finally, they show you how to get programs to work correctly by making them perform efficiently, robust and secure, and be easily maintained.

This most excellent book describes the stored program language introduced in MySQL 5.0. More importantly, this book will help you get the job done!!

Absolute Necessity For MySQL Developers.......2006-08-15

'MySQL Stored Procedure Programming' by Guy Harrison is a wonderful book for any MySQL developers out there in the world. With the release my MySQL 5.0, stored procedures/functions and triggers were finally added, making MySQL a real-world database that could successfully compete with SQL Server and Oracle. While nowhere near as bloated as those 2 behemoths, MySQL has a rich, loyal following that loves this 'little database that could', but until the latest version, what it could do was good, but not good enough for many people.

Having MySQL 5 and the ability to now write stored procedures, this DB could be used to power even the most important of web applications. Having this book in your hands now gives you the power to learn how to perform this very task efficiently and effectively.

I love the writing, size, and great layout of this text. In true O'Reilly fashion it's packaged for the masses and it is a pleasure to learn from.

Chapter Overview:

01. Into to MySQL Stored Programs
02. MySQL Stored Programming 101
03. Language Fundamentals
04. Blocks, Conditional Statements, Iterative Programming
05. Using SQL in Stored Programming
06. Error Handling
07. Creating and Maintaining Stored Programs
08. Transactions
09. MySQL built-in functions
10. Stored Functions
11. Triggers
12. Using Stored Programs in applications
13. MySQL with PHP
14. MySQL with Java
15. MySQL with Perl
16. MySQL with Python
17. MySQL with .NET
18. Stored Program Security
19. Tuning Stored Programs
20. Basic SQL Tuning
21. Advanced SQL Tuning
22. Optimizing Stored Program Code
23. Best Practices in MySQL Stored Program Development

Everything about this book just screams YES YES YES!!! One of my favorites that I have had the pleasure to review and unless you are the most awesome of SQL developers, I have no doubts that you will love this book too!!

***** HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

an excellent book.......2006-06-10

Having worked in java and oracle with pl/sql some time ago, I'm in the "probably better not to use stored procedures" camp for most environments - but now that mysql offers them, I figured it was best to see how they tackled the problem and this o'reilly book looked good by authors with good credentials. And, fortunately, O'Reilly didn't let me down - they've had really strong offerings recently after a bit of a bad spell and this book was no exception.

This book is well written and well organized - something too few books are these days! It focuses on incremental teaching, but sidesteps the pitfalls that many such books do by pointing out when certatin features are glossed over at this point to be further explained in a future chapter. This is the perfect way to handle that problem, but one so few books take the time to do, leaving you puzzling over whether or not you need to fully understand particular examples.

It's divided into 4 sections. For me, the heart of the book was in the first 2. The first "Stored Programming Fundamentals" gives you the nuts and bolts of the language - loops, blocks, variables, error handling, etc.. Very well written, very well organized and easy to follow.

The second part "Stored Program Construction" goes into more detail with working examples of stored procedures and functions. More language details are brought to light, it demonstrates how to use transactions in this context and triggers are introduced and explained. These two sections were great, to the point and easy to follow. The only minor qualm I had was their only incidental discussion of scoping - they'd address it with a sentence here and a note there, leaving you to glean how things worked. It's not complex, but a short paragraph dedicated to scope would have really been nice.

The third part, I think, was unnecessarily long. "Using MySQL Stored Programs in Applications" - this covered how to work in php, java, perl, python and .net. Which was great, but they put in about 150 pages, almost a quarter of the book to this task and almost all of it was dedicated to the basics of how to use databases in these languages. Very basic querying, etc. It wasn't in the scope of the book and shouldn't have been - the whole thing should have been a single chapter that just discussed how to work with stored programs in each of the languages.

The last section, "optimizing stored programs" was very good. It suffered a little bit from covering topics that shouldn't have been in the book - but they cover it very well. SQL Tuning is given a lot of pages, but they very succinctly cover many bases in a very easy to grasp manner. They discuss how to use stored programs to increase security, and they dedicate a chapter to the actual mechanics of optimizing your stored program code (aside from optimizing the sql that it might include). They conclude on an excellent Best Practices chapter that gives you the authors' insights on everything from development to style to sql practices. I really enjoy it when books include these, as it gives a lot of insight into how the authors think about programming and you can see where your thoughts coincided with and contradict - and hopefully (as was the case with this book) get you thinking a little bit more about things you might not be actively thinking about.

Overall this book is a great book. It's biggest failing, if you can call it that, was including too much. I would have liked a book maybe 2/3 the size and more tightly focussed. There are many books on sql optimization and hordes of books and online resources dedicated to using mysql with various programming languages. An excellent book that gives a pretty balanced view of the pros and cons of stored programming (although they do show a slight bias towards the use of - but what can you expect? :).

SQL Server Query Performance Tuning Distilled, Second Edition

Average customer rating:

Best SQL Server Book I've Ever Read
Excellent Book
Fantastic Book!!
Excellent SQL Server Resource - my favorite IT book to-date!
A perfect book

SQL Server Query Performance Tuning Distilled, Second Edition
Sajal Dam
Manufacturer: Apress
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1590594215

Book Description

Many SQL Server-based applications perform far below expectation-costing money and time. And until now, there has been very little practical information available that explains how to identify and cure performance problems in SQL Server. But this book offers essential content to fill in the gap.

The second edition includes updated material plus one new chapter, and explains how to design and tune SQL Server applications to cope with ever-increasing workloads. With proven strategy, this book shows how to use SQL Server tools to identify a performance bottleneck, isolate the root cause, apply possible resolutions, and then quantify performance improvements. Also covered are crucial issues like index analysis and tuning, preventing deadlocks, optimizing workload, and minimizing costs.

Customer Reviews:

Best SQL Server Book I've Ever Read.......2007-05-14

I'm a developer, not a DBA. Reading this book took me from having a mish-mash of fuzzy tuning concepts to being solid at tuning. If you take the time to read (and absorb) this book cover-to-cover, you will find yourself more knowledgable than almost any developer you meet - and many DBAs as well, quite frankly.

This book is a bible for doing *measurable*, *repeatable*, and *useful* SQL Server tuning. Using the techniques and procedures in this book, you be able to find exactly what the problem is, and how to fix it. I would give it 10 stars, if only I could.

Excellent Book.......2006-12-19

Very good book. Even for the beginners it is easy to catch up. I loved reading it many times. Author use simple table structure and explain how they differ when they tuned and when not tuned.

Looking forward to 2005 Edition if there is one going to come out.

I did not buy from amazon, i bought offshelf. I was impressed with this material so write up here. I like some other books from J. Sack from Apress and Solid Quality Learning (microsoft press).

these books my collection and they are excellent : This Book, J Sack Books from Apress and SQL books from Microsoft press ...

Fantastic Book!!.......2006-09-27

This book is perhaps the best and most useful technical book I've read in many years. I'm a seasoned developer with some good SQL experience but not much experience on the tuning side of the house (previously worked mostly with Oracle in large organizations where there was a DBA to perform the magic). Now I'm in a smaller organization where I have more exposure to the tuning aspects of SQL Server 2005.

This book does a fantastic job demystifying indicies, queries, bookmarks, execution plans -- the whole gamut. It starts by giving a great introduction so that the user understands the basics and then delves into strategies for optimization with pros and cons for each. The graphics and examples in the book are excellent as well.

A must read for anyone interested in query/db optimization.

Excellent SQL Server Resource - my favorite IT book to-date!.......2006-04-07

This is an excellent overview of database performance tuning and optimization best practices. Packed with useful information. Each topic is accompanied by examples and presented in a clear, easy-to-read style. The only thing I found missing somewhat was some more elaborate examples of index analysis and tuning. I found the presented examples on indexing a bit too simplistic.

I was a developer turned DBA recently, and I have benefited tremendously from this book. If you are a SQL Server DBA or developer, do yourself a favor and buy this book, even if it is on SQL 2000. You won't regret it. I hope there will be a SQL Server 2005 edition - I will be the first to get it.

A perfect book.......2005-09-26

This was recommended to me by a senior DBA and I have learnt a lot from it. The text is accurate and very nicely written. It is detailed and covers a lot of very fundamental aspects of SQL Server tuning.

Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Performance Optimization and Tuning Handbook

Average customer rating:

Outstanding Reference Book
SQL best practices bible
Best overall for SQL Server Tuning
Best book on performance tuning
This book rocks!!

Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Performance Optimization and Tuning Handbook
Ken England
Manufacturer: Digital Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1555582419

Book Description

Learn from a SQL Server performance authority how to make your database run at lightning speed.

Ken England's SQL Server 6.5 Performance Optimization and Tuning Handbook is recognized by SQL Server administrators as the indispensable guide to tuning and optimization. Now he's revised the book for Microsoft's new SQL Server 2000, the most advanced and powerful version yet of SQL Server, which takes full advantage of Windows 2000's new processing capabilities. The book details the factors that determine database performance and offers readers tools, techniques and best practices they can use to tweak and tune SQL Server's configuration and operation. Readers will learn how to enhance performance through good physical design and effective internal storage structures. The book spells out methods for creating efficient indexes and techniques for tuning SQL Server's new query optimizer.

A new edition of the authoritative and bestselling guide, SQL Server 6.5 Performance Optimization and Tuning Handbook, 1555581803Targets SQL Server 2000Helps IT professionals run SQL Server more powerfully and efficiently and optimize it for e-commerce and knowledge management

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding Reference Book.......2007-02-09

I have been a DBA for a bunch of small sites for many years. Recently I committed to a job w/ a large, online OLTP retailer and needed to fine tune my knowledge of the SQL Server engine.

I was shocked at just how flawed/lacking my knowledge was after reading this book.

Let me first state this sucker isn't for people looking to get by using the Enterprise Manger GUI. This book dissects the inner most workings of the db engine and it's under lying theory. Their is a lot of TSQL. I found myself limited to reading only a small number of pages at a time and then needing a break. The book is that intense and I have a Masters of Science degree as well as MCDBA and MCITP certifications.

Probably my favorite feature of the book is its small size, under 400 pages from tip to tail. I'd suggest this book to anyone wanting an understanding of what they are actually doing in SQL Server when they issue commands from EM. This book should be a requirement for any DBA or DB Designer in my opinion.

SQL best practices bible.......2007-01-10

I have been working with SQL for several years and always felt a bit weak in my understanding of best practices. I have only absorbed a few chapters so far on index structure and execution plans but already I feel like I have fast tracked into the clever peoples class. The layout is excellent and the language unambigous.

Best overall for SQL Server Tuning.......2006-08-02

I am a SQL Server performance consultant to many large corporations and government agencies. I have read and re-read this book so many times I should know it by heart. Still, I carry it with me on consulting engagements everywhere I go. There is almost always someone at my client's site who wants to improve their performance tuning skills. I show them the book and tell them this is where you start.

I don't know if there will be a version specifically for 2005, but it really doesn't matter much. The central concepts of the book have not changed for SQL Server 2005.

Ken England's writing style is clean and lucid. He can explain complex issues in a remarkably understandable way. His explanation of indexes and strategies of indexing is a great example of readable technical writing. He also has a good understanding of what is important and what is not.

This book is accessible to anyone who has some experience with SQL Server or any relational database. Someone with little experience may not get it all in one pass, but they will be much better prepared for real-world SQL Server performance tuning.

Best book on performance tuning.......2005-09-26

This is the best book ever written on performance tuning. Excellent text and very well written too. Thanks a lot.

This book rocks!!.......2005-08-30

This book is like a SQL SERVER 2000 bible for me. It has the most wonderful information in it, clear and easy to understand. I needed to interview for a job and I looked to this book for clarity and knowledge and boy was I enlightened. A must read for a beginner DBA like myself!!!!!

Inside Microsoft® SQL Server(TM) 2005: Query Tuning and Optimization

Average customer rating:

Inside Microsoft® SQL Server(TM) 2005: Query Tuning and Optimization
Kalen Delaney , Sunil Agarwal , Craig Freedman , Lubor Kollar , Ron Talmage , and Adam Machanic
Manufacturer: Microsoft Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0735621969

Book Description

Dive deep into the internals of query tuning and optimization in SQL Server 2005 with this comprehensive reference. Understanding the internals of SQL Server helps database developers and administrators to better create, access, and effectively process information from enterprise data. Written by experts on SQL Server, this volume from the Inside Microsoft SQL Server series of books focuses on query tuning and optimization. You'll take an in-depth look at the best ways to make queries more efficient and effective, while maximizing existing resources. Includes extensive code samples and table examples to help database developers and administrators understand the intricacies and help promote mastery of query tuning and optimization.

Average customer rating:

Well written and to the point
Practical Oracle database tuning guide that provides best overall return
Essential guide for tuning Oracle SQL
Worths to own one!

Oracle SQL Tuning Pocket Reference
Mark Gurry
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0596002688

Book Description

One of the most important challenges faced by Oracle database administrators and Oracle developers is the need to tune SQL statements so that they execute efficiently. Poorly tuned SQL statements are one of the leading causes of substandard database performance and poor response time. SQL statements that perform poorly result in frustration for users, and can even prevent a company from serving its customers in a timely manner.

In this book, Mark Gurry shares his in-depth knowledge of Oracle's SQL statement optimizers. Mark's knowledge is the result of many hard-fought tuning battles during his many years of providing Oracle tuning services to clients. Mark provides insights into the workings of the rule-based optimizer that go well beyond what the rules tell you. Mark also provides solutions to many common problems that occur with both the rule-based and cost-based optimizers.

In addition to the specific problem/solution scenarios for the optimizers, Mark provides a number of handy SQL tuning tips. He discusses the various optimizer hints, telling you when they can be used to good effect. Finally, Mark discusses the use of the DBMS_STATS package to manage database statistics, and the use of outlines to specify execution plans for SQL statements in third-party applications that you can't otherwise modify.

Customer Reviews:

Well written and to the point.......2007-07-07

I typically like these little pocket reference books from O'Reilly and this one is no exception. However, this is more than just a reference, it's a nice primer on Oracle SQL tuning. It's a pretty safe bet that you'll get your $10 worth out of this book pretty quickly.

Practical Oracle database tuning guide that provides best overall return.......2007-05-26

Purchased a few years ago, this little guide has provided the best return on investment when compared to more bulky works on the subject of Oracle database tuning. The word "reference" was probably chosen over the word "guide" in the title of this book because the former would seem to imply usage solely for quick lookups on various related subjects. However, this work is really a step-by-step primer that can be used alongside online Oracle database reference manuals. Because this book is so short, it can be digested in a matter of hours. During such a short time period, the reader is exposed to topics ranging from Oracle rules-based and cost-based optimization to database statistics gathering and SQL hints. And all this information is presented in a practical manner that includes many examples that will help the reader start off on the right path.

Essential guide for tuning Oracle SQL.......2003-05-22

This is the best book I've seen for tuning Oracle SQL.
It is well written, up to date (includes 9i info), and full of examples and real world experiences. All packed into 100 little pages!
Many of the Oracle books I've purchased (especially the tuning references) are just sitting on the shelf collecting dust. They're too big, and filled with a lot of 'dead weight'. I've already read this pocket reference twice (it's suprising how much more of it 'sticks' the second time around) and gathered more useful knowledge than all my other sql tuning books combined.
I know this is called a pocket reference simply because of it's size, but it's really more of an instructional manual than just a reference.
Every Oracle developer and DBA should read this book ...at least twice.

Worths to own one!.......2001-12-29

Yesterday, I saw this pocket book, then I decide to buy it because...
* Clear clarification on which optimizer (cost-based and rule- based) is used for a specific situation and its problems.
* Sorts, indexes, IN/EXISTS, OR/UNION, Loop, joins with tables...etc related performance issues and rating , giving a reader a reminder on the criteria to write a well-performed SQL.
* What is bad SQL?How to use SQL Hints?
* How to analyze table with DBMS_STATS package?
* How to pre-define outline for your execution plan ?

I have bought DBA checklist and Oracle with UNIX, they are my nice partners as well. Haha...I still remember I deal with a staging database problem in my work, I cannot find a solution from a THICK and HEAVY book but from them.

Book Description

From the official Oracle Press comes a comprehensive guide to tuning SQL statements for optimal execution. This expert resource explains how to view the internal execution plan of any SQL statement and change it to improve the performance of the statement. You'll get details on Oracle's optimizer modes, SQL extensions, the STATSPACK utility, and a wealth of methods for tuning Oracle SQL statements.

Customer Reviews:

Good stuff!.......2007-08-09

Still working my way through it, but have already gleaned several insights from it. This gives me information I had not yet found in Oracle manuals. (I'm an application developer, trying to work productively with database administrators and system administrators.)

Ancient coverage.......2006-02-07

I'm sure that this was a great book in it's day, but it is 5 years old and useful only for firewood. The rule optimizer is not even there anymore. [...]

Good book about the internals of SQL.......2002-11-27

It is a good book for those interested in the internals of sql. The knowledge of the author about the matter is excellent, and his writing style is clear, simple, and funny.

Good book for tuning complex SQL.......2001-11-27

I have a very complex system with lots of subqueries, and I was unable to find good tuning information until I tried the techniques in this book.

The book is simple to understand and explains the internals of complex Oracle SQL operations.

I have been very heppy with the results from my tuning, and I am thankful to find this textbook.

This is a most excellent text.......2001-09-30

I bought a copy of this book in hopes of tuning the SQL in my Oracle8i database and I was not disappointed. When using the techniques in the book, I was able to quickly identify and tune the most resource intensive SQL statements in my system. The book is clear and easy to understand.

SQL Server 2000: A Beginner's Guide (Book/CD-ROM)

Average customer rating:

Nice litmus test for new hires
poorly written
Good thing it wasn't my money...
Truely for beginners
Not for a *complete* beginner, need some DB experience

SQL Server 2000: A Beginner's Guide (Book/CD-ROM)
Dusan Petkovic
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 007212587X

Book Description

Build and manage SQL Server 2000 databases easily. Work with Transact-SQL and data definition language, and handle simple and complex queries. You'll also learn to use SQL extensions and stored procedures, views, triggers, and transactions.

Customer Reviews:

Nice litmus test for new hires.......2007-02-24

As a senior DBA, I like to bring on board minions once in awhile to do some of the menial work. First, I make sure they have had least worked with an RDBMS before, whether it be something puny like Access or MySQL in a classroom context.

Then I give them this book and tell them to read through Chapter 11. If they understand at least the first part of the book, they're a keeper. If they're still clueless, I let them go eventually. The beginning of the book is well written for anybody with brains and motivation to understand.

As for the topics in the rest of the book, they're better off doing what I do, which is go online to one of the many SQL Server DBA sites.

poorly written.......2005-06-16

This book covers many SQL Server topics in a fairly detailed fashion. However, the structure is so disorganized and the content so poorly written that the book is essentially unreadable. Topics, such as indexing, triggers and administration are frequently discussed hundreds of pages before they are defined and introduced. As for muddled writing, consider this defintion of a computed column from pg. 153:

"A computed column is a column of a table that is used to store the result of a computation of a table's data. The most important property of a computed column is that it does not store computed data."

Despite its shortcomings, the book's breadth and surprisingly comprehensive index make it a great reference tool. However, I would not suggest it to anyone as a means of learning SQL Server.

Good thing it wasn't my money..........2004-09-10

I found this book in the company library and hoped it would be a good starting point, not the case. Time to order a decent, well written, well organized book on the basics of SQL Server.

Truely for beginners.......2004-04-12

So, the boss called me up one day and said, "Your team has to learn SQL Server 2000." I said, "How long do we have?" She answered, "How fast can you do it?" After tooling around the store, I chose this book and we bought three copies. In one week, we were all functional in SQL Server (with background in SQL and relational databases already there). That's a good deal.

So, I recommended it to others in our company who need to learn more about relational databases, or more about SQL or more about SQL Server 2000. The experience has been universally good. It may not be deep (my only downgrade) but it is specific.

I think the author managed to give just enough explanation about relational databases without going too deep. As a data purist, I might argue that more is better on this subject. However, I am responsible for training one group that does the same SQL over and over again, and that makes me aware that not everyone has to reach genius level on data.

Good job!

Not for a *complete* beginner, need some DB experience.......2002-03-27

Definitely not for the complete beginner. If you have an idea about what a database is and what you want out of your database then this is a great book. My experience with databases is fairly minimal, but I had some experience prior to reading this book because I built a web application that used Access on the back end. I understood database structure and had a context to read the book, so when I would read about something I would think to myself how I could use that information. Without this frame of reference, I would have been lost and this book would have been abysmal.

That said, for me this book was an excellent read. I LOVED this book. I found no significant errors in the book (a small typo here or there). I used it to prepare for the Microsoft class on Desiging and Imlementing a Database Design using SQL Server 2000. I am a network engineer by trade and was afraid that I would be left behind in this class, so I needed to get up to speed quickly. This book provided huge amounts of clear and concise information to me in a very short time, and in the class I was probably the most knowledgeable student (not bad for a network engineer in a room full of DBAs and web programmers). In fact, there were multiple occasions where the information I learned in this book let me answer questions in the class that the instructor could not, and I also pointed out several instances where my instructor was just plain wrong. In summary, if you have some sort of database experience using a different product, this will get you up to speed very quickly on the vast majority of the aspects of SQL Server 2000. I commend the author on his writing style. I would have given it 5 stars if the audience for the book was more clearly defined by the title or the back page.

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